Twisted Ties
by smartkid37
Summary: Like the twisty ties used for storage bags, Tim's family bonds have been through a lot - – though love of both his families kept them holding strong. But when that twisted section of his family ties gets bent almost too far out of shape – will love be enough for him to hold onto? Will it be enough for all of them to survive? Sequel to "Ties That Bind"
1. Prologue

_**Previously on NCIS:**_

"_Your father…When he died six weeks ago, I found out about his safe deposit box."_

_…_

"_You were my son; despite the fact that you were, in fact, not my son. …The enclosed paternity tests are real and accurate. Your real father's name is at the bottom of the paper…"_

_Lucas Martin_

_…._

_"Ducky, have you ever spent your whole life believing something about someone, only to find out after they're gone, that what you knew about them wasn't the truth after all?"…_

_…"I certainly understand you desire for more current test results, Timothy. I would recommend it, yes. But, as far as you getting it done, I'm not sure how you would go about doing that."_

_"I'm gonna go ask him to voluntarily give me a sample."_

_….._

_"Lucas Martin?... from what I've been told, there's a real good chance – that I'm your son..."_

_"You're in here because you've killed 10 women! You're telling me that my mother was supposed to be #11? You tried to kill her?...You expect me to believe you only raped one woman out of 11?" _

_"Well, yeah, she was the only beautiful one outta all of 'em."_

_"Why would you admit to a rape and an attempted murder now?"_

_"Hey, I'm already on death row, what else can they do to me? It ain't like I got a whole lotta time left in this joint. I'm sure you already know I got a date with the chair comin' up real soon."_

_"January 15th."_

_"Right. This army of guards is in here to make sure I don't miss that date. You know what? Now that you've reminded me, you've given me something to spend my time remembering; reliving; enjoying, over and over again! Thanks, kid!"_

_... I tole' ya there was only one way you could be my kid! Didn't say you were gonna like it…Maybe you'll come back for that date! January 15th, kid. And bring your mother, won't you? I bet she'd love to see me again. I know I'd love to see her. Maybe she'll let me have a quickie with her before I die."_

_…._

_Gibbs reacted instinctively, quickly reaching out, grasping Tim by his shoulders and pulling him into a sympathetic embrace in hopes of grounding him in physical as well as rare emotional support._

_"Need you to tell me why you moved without telling anyone or even asking for anyone's help."_

_"Because of him. I don't want him to be able to ever find me. If no one knows where I live, he can't use them to get to me."_

_"He's on death row. Scheduled for his 'government sanctioned dirt nap' as Tony puts it, in less than a month. You really think that's something you need to worry about, Tim?" _

_"I can't help it, Boss. I won't be able to breathe easy until …"_

_"Okay, want you to promise me that if you ever have a problem with this, you'll let me know."_

_"Thanks, Boss."_

_….._

"_Since you're gonna go drinkin' on a week night and you have to actually work tomorrow; get your asses over to my house when you're ready to call it a night. That way I don't have to worry about whether or not you wrapped yourselves around a tree or if you're gonna show up to work in the morning."_

_Boss, I'm sorry. I know I told you we were only gonna have 1 drink… but then I got to thinkin' and…"_

_"And you wanted McGee to talk about what's goin' on with him and the only way he was gonna do that was if he was sloshed and plied with the right questions."_

_"Well, yeah. It sounds so not nice when you put it like that, Boss."_

_"Well, Tony, it wasn't nice."…_

…_._

…_"McGee was about to explain what he needs our help with in all of this."_

_"Let's face it. I've gone from being the only son of two parents who loved me and supported me my whole life; to being the end results of a rape at the hands of a serial killer. I can't even keep up with all the questions that have popped into my head about this."_

_And doubts?" _

_"Yeah, those too."_

_"About yourself or about your mother?"_

_"Both."_

_"Timothy, while I understand the anger in which you reacted to your mother that night; surely, you must know she probably forgave you before you had even gotten yourself back here that night." _

_"How can I be sure? How do I know she'll even talk to me? How do I know she ever really wanted me to begin with and didn't just feel forced to have me because she didn't believe in the alternative? What if every time she looks at me, she sees…?" _

_"You're forgetting she called me because she was worried sick about you. She even asked if you'd gotten hurt or killed on the job; thought maybe that's why you hadn't called her. That was not the concern of a woman who regrets her choice, McGee."_

_…."McGee."_

_"Boss?"_

_"Who are you?"_

_"That's kinda what I'm not sure of anymore, Boss." _

_"Timothy. What makes you who you are? The circumstances of your birth or what you have done with your life and what you've made of your life with what you've had to work with?"_

_…"I just really need to know if she really wanted me. I mean what rape victim wants the child that comes from that?"_

_….._

"_What I wanna know is what kind of woman would sleep with a serial killer and have his kid? I mean, who would want to have offspring from a guy like that? Haven't these women ever heard of 'like father, like son? I can't imagine what it would be like to be the son of a serial killer. Probably never able to look yourself in the mirror just from the shame and the guilt alone! Ugh!"_

_"You done?"_

_"Boss?"_

_"You're done."_

_"But…"_

_"Enough, DiNozzo. Stick to the facts and quit the judgmental B.S. that doesn't solve the case!" _

…..

_…."McGee. She's your mother and she loves you. Go with that."_

_…._

_"Mom? You're here? Really?"_

_"I'm here, Son. No place else I'd rather be for Christmas." _

_….._

_"You worry too much about the rest of us and not enough about yourself and what you need. Need you to change that, all right? From now on, if you need to talk to me about anything, then you come to me, you got that?"_

_…_

_"Thank you so much for being there for him, Agent Gibbs. I can't thank you enough."_

_"You already have, Mrs. McGee." _

_"How?"_

_"By giving him back the belief that he was always wanted and loved. By not letting this take that away from him."_

_…._

_"Sarah?" _

_"Merry Christmas, big brother!"_

_…._

_"Do you know, I still don't' know what 'it' is? Neither of them will tell me. What little I know doesn't add up to that explosion or this rift. I can't believe neither one of them will talk to me about it."_

_"Comes back to not taking that choice away from them, Sarah."_

_"When Daddy died, Tim came unglued. But it was the silent kind. He wouldn't talk to anyone."_

_"Tim's not gonna be able to stop thinking of him as his own father overnight; probably not for a very long time; if ever. Sometimes, Sarah, blood isn't what counts when it comes to who you love as your parents."_

_…._

_"McG…Tim?"_

_Tim turned to look at his Team Leader in surprise. "Boss?"_

_What's goin' on?"_

_Tim shook his head in his now signature sign that he didn't know how to explain what he was thinking._

_"Your father?" Gibbs offered a gentle revelation that he already figured out where the young man's head was at on this most cherished of holidays. He walked over to the swing and leaned back against the railing closest to it as he waited for Tim's answer_**. **

_"I can't believe he's gone." Tim whispered. "Never thought there'd be a Christmas without him." He turned his head away from Gibbs as he wiped at the tears trickling down his face._

_"I know it's hard, Tim. But, believe me, it'll get easier; someday." _

_"Thanks._

_"So, what's goin' through that head of yours?"_

_"I've never been the head of the family. Never wanted to be. I don't know what to do; what not to do."_

_…."Tim. Your sister's grown and your mother's gonna be okay. They both are. If this had happened before Sarah had become an adult, you'd have something to worry about. Now? Most you'll have to worry about is who she's dating." Gibbs tried to rein things in for the young man._

_"They're starting over in California, Boss. No friends, no family_

_"It's not your job to lay down your life to take care of theirs, McGee...Your job is to live your life the way your father would have been proud of you for; the way that makes you happy. According to his letter, you already accomplished that. Stick with what works and what makes you happy."_

_"But…"_

_"He's right, Honey,." Tim's mom said from the now open front door. As she stepped out onto the porch, walked over to the swing and sat down beside her son._

_When she sat down, she reached over and pulled her son to her, keeping her arm around his shoulder as she kissed him on the temple. "Stop worrying. You're putting yourself through all of this stress unnecessarily. "Agent Gibbs is right. The only thing you need to do is live your life. Sarah and I will be fine. We'll keep in touch and I promise you, if I need help, I'll let you know. Sarah will do the same. Anytime you need to talk, all you have to do is call."_

_Tim looked from one of the most treasured people in his life to the other, searching their faces for the truth behind the words. As both of them nodded at him he felt the worry slip away, to be replaced by relief. "Okay."_

_"Yeah?" Gibbs double checked._

_"Yeah, Boss."_

_"Okay, then can we go back inside now?"_

_Tim grinned. "Yeah."_

_As the three of them headed back inside, Tim had one more thing to say. "Thank you. Both of you."_

…_._

_For the first time, since this whole horrid ordeal came out, Gibbs found himself hopeful for the future and that Tim, would finally be able to move on and cherish the family that was here with him now, despite grieving for the one he'd recently lost. _

_Tim caught his boss's eye from across the room and offered him a genuine smile of both appreciation and happiness. Gibbs returned the smile warmly and nodded his head in acknowledgement. He couldn't help but think, that things were finally, going to be okay and vowed that no matter what, he would fight to keep this family together at all costs._

_After all, wasn't that what family ties were all about?_


	2. Chapter 1

_Jan 13, 2007_

It's cold outside and boring inside what with no active case to work and only the early morning news to keep Tony company as he gets settled in at his desk in the rare silence that has greeted him this morning. It's a rare occurrence for him to be the first one in on their team. In fact, it's rare that he's not the last one to arrive. While the peace and quiet feels like heaven, it isn't long, however before Tony's mood goes through a metamorphic change as the actual content of the morning news grabs his attention and shakes it by its' proverbial shirt collar and stops him cold as he reaches out to turn up the volume.

_"This is Tawny Brown, coming to you live, outside the Maryland State Prison for violent offenders._

_Prison Warden, Richard Jones has refused to release a statement regarding the dangerous criminal, Lucas Martin who has managed to escape Death Row, just days before his scheduled execution._

_However, there are plenty of facts already known in this case since Lucas Martin was convicted of murdering 10 women beginning in 1976._

_Rumor has it that Martin faked an illness so well the guards on duty felt it necessary to send him to the emergency room, thereby most likely playing right into the hands of this dangerous serial killer who, in a recent jail house visit, it has been revealed, had been informed he'd fathered a child during his criminal activities._

_Sadly enough, that information came to light when the alleged son, formerly unaware of his parentage to Lucas requesting something to use for a DNA sample. Officials say, that visit ended with veiled threats from Martin, directed toward the young man's mother, whom, Martin claimed, "was the beautiful one"._

_This jailbreak was completely unexpected as, throughout his lengthy prison time, Martin has never once asked for a new trial or claimed to be innocent of the crimes against him. In fact, it has long been his method of operation to find the entire situation laughable, even something to be proud of. _

_During a rare interview with the man some fifteen years ago, Martin boasted that the only thing he'd ever done wrong was to get caught. His claim at that time, was that he'd gotten drunk and spilled his guts to the wrong people, which led to his arrest and his subsequent conviction on all ten counts of murder._

_It is rumored that Mr. Martin has escaped to locate the one woman he spoke of during that visit, with whom he has seemed to remain infatuated. Prison officials have not been able to prove that Martin knew the complete identity of the young man claiming to be his son, but admit, it would not have been difficult for him to learn it, as all guests sign in when they come to visit anyone within the prison."_

_"Two guards are dead and there's been no sighting of Martin. _

_Channel 8 will continue to bring you updated information regarding this prison break, but warns residents, to be careful and remain acutely aware of their surroundings, as Martin is considered dangerous and may be armed._

_Channel 8 New - Tawny Brown reporting."_

Seeing the boss walk in from his peripheral vision, Tony turns his attention to the man and asks "Did you hear, Boss?" He points to the TV news broadcast he's turned to on the large plasma TV at the back of their work area. "Think they'll find him?"

"Sure hope so." Gibbs answers him more quietly than usual.

"Boss? Something wrong? Probie's not here. That what you're not happy about? Where the hell could he be?" The younger man wonders with genuine worry. Something was wrong because his gut was telling him so. Between the news story, his probie's absence and the boss's unusual demeanor and answer, something was definitely not right. Heck, even Ziva had snuck in so quietly he only just now realized she was standing right behind him watching the news too.

"Somewhere safe, I hope." Gibbs answered in a verbal prayer partially under his breath as he headed out of the squad room and up to the Director's Office.

Tony was left standing there dumbfounded and confused.

Ziva was also confused but also beginning to become worried. She was mentally putting the pieces together from McGee's painful reaction to Tony's ranting before Christmas about serial killers and their kids and the kind of women that were willing to sleep with killers; and the news broadcasts, as well as Gibbs' reaction just now. But, it was the boss's answer to Tony's question regarding McGee's whereabouts that had her most concerned. Even McGee's move without telling anyone where he'd moved to made sense now. _Or did it?_

**_*****NCIS*********_**

Gibbs walked into the Director's outer office, to find a rather agitated Cyber-crimes geek looking like he'd rather be anywhere but waiting to see Jenny. He spared the poor kid a bemused glance before walking into her office unannounced as he usually did, closing the door behind him, leaving the young man with Cynthia for the moment.

At his arrival, he was greeted by the sight of Jenny holding up her hand, palm out, to forestall any conversation from him while she continues her obviously frustrating phone call that he's caught her in.

"I gave you a simple request to get me the best encryption cracker we have. I told you I wanted them in my office in 5 minutes. Your time is up, where the hell is that person?" She slammed the phone down without waiting for an answer.

"Jen, we need to talk about McGee." Gibbs told her solemnly.

"I'm listening. What about him, Jethro?"

"Have you seen the news this morning?"

"Only thing I've seen Jethro, is this breaking story." She pointed to the TV, which was airing the same news story Tony had been watching downstairs in the squad room. "Why they didn't think the guy would pull that all-too common tactic of faking his own illness to earn a trip off the prison grounds is beyond me. They figured since he's been a model prisoner on death row for the last thirty plus years, he'd go to his death quietly? Wait, you have something to tell me about this? Something that has to do with McGee?" Jenny's words came to a screeching halt when her brain finally caught up to what Gibbs had said.

"Yeah." Gibbs' tone was quiet which gave her pause to look at him closely.

"What about it?" She asked cautiously, her stomach knotting up with the realization that somehow he was getting ready to tell her something bad.

"That's why he's not here." The shoe dropped, even if it still needed further explanation.

"What…?" She asked automatically.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Enter!" Jenny barked in frustration.

"Ma'am? You sent for me?" The Cyber-crimes geek that Gibbs had just walked past, entered looking more nervous than Gibbs could ever remember seeing his own youngest agent.

"Are you the best encryption code cracker we have?" she asked disbelief.

"No, Ma'am." The young man answered meekly, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

"I gave a simple request, to get me the best encryption cracker we have. If that's not you, then why are you here?" Jenny demanded angrily.

"Ma'am, I'm here to explain why we can't get you what you requested." The poor kid found enough nerve to stand up straighter and actually look Jenny in the eye for a minute.

"Oh? And why is that?" The Director asked patronizingly.

"You asked for the best." The young man reiterated without flinching this time.

"Spit it out." Jenny instructed impatiently.

"And the best we have is Agent McGee. And we've checked. He's not here yet." The hapless computer whiz explained in a rush, letting his nerve leave him at that point since he'd told her what she needed to know.

Jenny's eyes flew to Gibbs' as he took a seat in the corner of her office, where he liked to sit when he wanted to be unnoticed. She didn't like the look on his face or the worry in his eyes; or for that matter, the conversation he'd tried to have with her on the subject of McGee. But, that had to wait. Turning her attention back to the squirming man in front of her, she issued him an order.

""Then get me the best we've got here now!" Jenny demanded hotly.

"Well, uhm, that would be Abby Scuito, Ma'am." The young man sputtered as his brain struggled to string two words together in front of the now angry Agency Director. Computer programs and codes he could thrive in; confrontations with the Agency Head, he could not.

"Jethro? I need her in here, now." The Director turned her eyes and her request to Gibbs, essentially ignoring the young man standing before her for a minute.

Gibbs stood back up and walked over to the now nearly cowering Computer Specialist. His memory of McGee being this nervous and green seemed to guide his actions at this moment as he looked, not at Jenny but at the young man. "Thanks. We'll handle it."

The young man looked at Jenny who nodded her silent agreement and watched with a touch of amusement as he scurried from her office almost faster than his feet could carry him.

Gibbs already had his phone out. "Hey, Abbs."

_"Gibbs! I don't have anything for you" _Abby's surprised voice resonated through the phone line.

"I know. Need you to come up to the Director's Office."

_"What? Is it something I did? Wait, I haven't done anything, I swear, Gibbs!"_

Gibbs smiled, "I know, Abbs. Just get up here, will ya?"

_"Sure. Be right there,"_

Closing his phone, Gibbs looked over at the news report again, his gut screaming at him that his agent was once again in trouble over this; this time, seriously, alone and most likely scared out of his mind. What's worse, if Tim had heard this report, he'd be laying on a pretty damn thick blanket of guilt right about now.

It couldn't be helped though, if the report was right and the convicted man had gotten all the information he'd needed from Tim's visit. With a hardened criminal with a scary record for murder, loose on the streets, who's to say the city at large wouldn't blame 'the son' that had so innocently setting this in motion? No, that wasn't right, the son hadn't done anything wrong. Unfortunately, not many people would accept that or believe it, especially if people started dying at this man's hands once again.

Abby arrived in short order and was read into the Director's need for her help with the computer. As the forensic scientist worked at cracking the code, Jenny voiced her frustration.

"Jethro, why would he send me an email that only Abby can open?" Jenny asked.

Gibbs cracked a slight smile at his absent agent's continued blind faith in him. "He wanted to make damn sure I saw it." His smile evaporated as he read what Tim had written.

_B. _

_Guess we were both wrong. I need a favor from YOU. Please sign on the dotted line when asked.__  
__Please watch your back. If anything should happen to you…._

_Probie._

"Gibbs, I don't get it! What's he talking about? And what does he mean you were both wrong? Wrong about what? And since when does he call himself that when he's talking to you? You never call him Probie."" Abby demanded as her worry climbed through the roof.

"Abby, shush." Jenny tried to calm the Lab Rat before she got too terribly upset.

Gibbs' phone rang before he could even offer an answer to the younger woman..

"Yeah, DiNozzo?"

_"Got a delivery down here for ya, Boss. The guy says it has to be signed for by you."_

Gibbs frowned as he put the pieces together – Tim's words in the note still fresh in his mind. -

_I need a favor from YOU_. _Please sign on the dotted line when asked_

"I'll be right there." Gibbs answered as he snapped his phone shut and looked at the email one last time. His agent was saying so much more than even Abby realized. "I'll be right back."

"Jethro!"

"Gibbs!"

"Jen. Read that again while I go _sign _for this _package_." Gibbs told her with a pointed look that told her to hurry up, sharpen up her brain cells, and get what was really in front of her for clues.

Rushing down the stairs to the delivery guy, Gibbs was quick to examine the document he was expected to sign. With no obvious signs that it was bogus, he signed it, dropped the pen, took the package and hightailed it back up the stairs to the Director's Office quicker than the poor delivery guy could even track..

Once inside Jenny's office once more, Gibbs closed the door in one swift motion, before walking the rest of the way across her floor, until he reached her large table. Where he set the package down, whipped out his knife and immediately cut through the tape that ran down the middle, holding the box securely shut.

"Wait, Gibbs! You're contaminating the evidence! How am I supposed to find him now?" Abby asked in shock.

"You're not." Gibbs answered her quietly as he stopped what he was doing and looked her straight on. "I'm serious, Abby. Do Not try to find him. Not this time."

"What? Why not? What's going on, here, Gibbs? Do you know where Timmy is?" the Lab Rat insisted as her voice began to rise.

"Jethro?" Jenny inquired even as she placed what she hoped would be a calming hand on Abby's shoulder.

Ignoring both of them at least for the moment, Gibbs returned his attention to what he needed to do and opened the box. Just as he suspected, found a letter on top, addressed to Abby. Silently handing it to her, he kept his attention on her as he waited for the anticipated reaction.

Abby looked at the letter, clearly written in Tim's beautiful handwriting .

_Abby – Private and confidential_

Almost trance-like now, Abby walked out of the office, staring at the letter as she went.

Only after she'd left, did Gibbs breathe out a sigh of relief.

"You didn't want her to see what else was in the box." Jenny surmised as she came to stand next to him.

Gibbs was already searching the outside of the box for any information that would tell him where Tim had sent it from and remained silent at her question.

"Jethro, talk to me." Jenny coaxed with worry.

"In a minute, Jen. Let me see what he's trying to tell me, first." He finally replied as he opened the flaps of the box back up. He pulled out what looked to be a brand new burn phone still unopened .

"What…?"

Handing the phone to Jenny, he kept digging while she took the hint and took the packaged phone from him. It wasn't long before she found the slit that had been made in the package and opened it, taking out the phone . "Jethro, it's already programmed with three numbers."

"The first one will be his." Gibbs supplied without hesitation. "Pretty safe bet, the others belong to the ones needing to be protected right now." Gibbs surmised calmly . "Here, this one's for you." He held out a letter towards her without looking inside it. "His resignation."

"What? Why on earth…?" she asked in shock.

"Because, Jen. He's a Federal Agent and that escaped serial killer - is his father."


	3. Chapter 2

Tony was antsy and worried. There was still no sign of his probie, the boss seemed upset and worried instead of angry at the youngest agent's absence and even Ziva seemed upset and worried. Something was going on.

"Ziva?" Tony asked with unbridled concern.

"Yes, Tony. I too am worried about McGee." Ziva replied sadly, as she remained standing in front of the plasma TV.

"What does this have to do with Probie, I wonder." Tony admitted.

Ziva wisely kept her mouth shut. She was not going to put the pieces together for him even if her brain had already done so for herself. She owed it to Tim to respect his privacy as she knew he would want. As her mind wandered through the events of the last two months, beginning with the change in Tim's demeanor, her brain realized it didn't paint a very happy picture for her teammate.

"You know something!" Tony accused quietly but with anger as he faced her.

"It is not my place to speculate and I have not been told any facts, Tony. Even if I did know something, it would not be my place to share anything I had not been given express permission to share." She reminded him with all due seriousness.

*********NCIS************

Abby walked back to the elevator as she opened her note. Freezing in her tracks as the words she was reading registered on her brain.

_Abby_

_Please don't' push anyone for any details. Just know that if and when I can come back, I will. Until then, please do what you can to help Gibbs without a lot of questions or demands for answers. I need his help, Abby. And he might need yours – to help me._

_Always remember that I loved you - completely._

_Tim._

Tears ran down Abby's face at as the thought of her Timmy in the type of trouble that would force him to have to go off grid like this and then send her this kind of message. Inwardly, she vowed to do just what his note had asked of her. But that didn't stop her from wanting to know more. Her gut was screaming at her that he wouldn't have made such a soul-deep admission to her if he expected to see her ever again.

With an air of stubborn determination, she headed toward Autopsy in search of Ducky, the man she was sure would have more answers. .  
.

*********NCIS************

"Jethro, you can't be serious!" Jenny exclaimed.

"Trust me, Jen, I am." Gibbs told her quietly as he kept digging into the box, coming up with a note for himself and a set of keys with a remarkably familiar logo on the medallion. Looking at the key ring, Gibbs felt his heart break. "Oh, Tim." He said sorrowfully half under his breath.

"Are those…?" Jenny asked in surprise.

"Yeah." Gibbs breathed out on a saddened huff of air as he took the note addressed to him and sat down on her small couch in his favorite corner of her office.

"Why?" she asked in confusion.

"Because, Jen, he's still thinking like the Federal Agent he is." He told her without looking up.

Taking the hints to both leave him alone and to read her own letter from Agent McGee, Jenny did just that as she sat down at her desk in silence and began to read. She hated this; hated that Gibbs was apparently right about what was going on with their missing agent.

_Director Shepard:_

_If you're reading this, then I need to resign, effective immediately. Please feel free to admit this into my personnel file as my official resignation. You'll find my badge and firearm in the box that Agent Gibbs was requested to sign for; for obvious reasons._

_I am so very sorry that this has happened and that I am having to abandon my position without notice. I can only hope you'll understand I had no choice._

_Sincerely, Timothy McGee_

_P.S.: Please make sure the team uses extra security measures for their safety for the near future. Also, you might want to get everyone's personnel files encrypted as an additional safety precaution._

Jenny got up and went to the box and looked inside under the protective packing peanuts and newspapers. Sure enough, sitting underneath one layer of the dark tissue paper was the young man's gun and badge. The clip to the gun was well as his Agency issued cell phone were also in the box, under yet another layer of paper and peanuts.

"Jethro, this took time to put together." She observed quietly as if revealing a clue.

"Yeah, Jen. He's been prepared for this ever since he found out back in December." Gibbs replied without looking up from his letter.

"Found out what?" She pushed for details, wanting all the facts about this.

Finally looking up from the note Tim had written him, Gibbs answered her: "That the man who raised him wasn't his father - this dangerous bastard is."

*********NCIS********

"Doctor Mallard?" Jimmy asked his mentor nervously. The kindly older man was looking most unwell this morning, almost as if he was seriously convinced something bad was happening around him. Since he'd been in, Ducky had not lost the frown or the less than straight line of his shoulders. The look in his eyes was that of sorrow or was it despair?

"Yes, Mr. Palmer?" Ducky asked as he spared his assistant a glance. Noticing the younger man's look of concern, the M.E. turned his full attention to the conversation at hand.

"Are you alright?" Jimmy asked. "You seem rather upset this morning."

"Ah, yes, I am. How right you are, Mr. Palmer." Ducky answered sadly.

"Anything I can help you with?" Jimmy asked even as the Autopsy doors swooshed open to reveal an equally upset Abby.

"DUCKY!" she wailed. "Something's happened to Timmy! I know he talked to you before Christmas when he wouldn't talk to the rest of us. And I'm not supposed to ask any questions, but I can't help it! What's going on?"

Looking at his assistant, Ducky silently asked the young man to leave him alone with the troubled young woman. Waiting until Jimmy was gone, the M.E. bundled Abby into his arms and walked her into his office where he could talk with her privately and perhaps get her to accept a soothing cup of hot tea.

Setting the tea to brewing, Ducky came back to Abby where she sat by his desk and sat down in the chair next to her. Before he could open his mouth to ask any questions, she silently held out the letter she'd gotten from him. As he looked at what was written there, Ducky felt his heart break. So _it was true after all. Oh, dear. Poor Timothy._"

"Abigail, you must have faith that he will be alright. He will come back to us when he can."

Abby cried without speaking, her heart breaking with the distance she was expected to keep from whatever was happening to her Timmy.

Ducky let her have her moments to get it out of her system. He knew her well enough to know she'd be okay enough to think straight only after she got her emotions out of the way.

*********NCIS************

Gibbs looked back down at what he'd just perused, trying to get his heart to stop breaking at the fear screaming out at him from between the lines.

B_.__  
__We talked about this possibility.  
We never talked about what to do if I was right._  
_I don't even have a clue as to what is known about anyone, including M. and S._

_He's after M. I can't risk either of their lives.  
Sent them on a mini-vacation, I don't know what else to do.  
The answer to your question is: Mine, S. and M's._

_I know I haven't thanked you enough for being there for me since this whole nightmare started. Words aren't enough. They can't explain how much I deeply appreciate everything you've done for me._

_D. too. Please tell him I said that.  
Please don't let the others hate me for abandoning them like this_

_T._

_P.S. Evidence garage; very back corner under the black tarp  
Please do what you need to with it._

_Thank you - for everything_.

Gibbs had to take a couple of deep breaths to calm down as the memory of the conversation he'd had with his surrogate son about this very situation came back to haunt him now.

_**Flashback**_

_"Tell me why you moved without telling anyone or even asking for anyone's help."_

_"Because of him. I don't want him to be able to ever find me. If no one knows where I live, he can't use them to get to me."_

_McGee, why are you so worried about it? He's on death row. You really think that's something you need to worry about?"_

_"I can't help it, Boss. I won't be able to breathe easy until…"_

_"Yeah. I hear ya. Okay. Want you to promise me that if you ever have a problem with this, you'll let me know."_

_" Thanks, Boss."_

_**End Flashback**_

*********NCIS************

Tony couldn't stand it any longer, he plunked himself down in his probie's chair and began to rifle through his desk.

"Tony! What are you doing?" Ziva hissed as quietly as she could and still be heard by her hardheaded teammate.

"Uhm, looking for answers." Tony's answer was loaded with sarcasm.

"Hey, Guys." Jimmy greeted quietly as he walked into the squad room.

"Gremlin, why are you up here? What's going on?" Tony pounced on the hapless younger man,

"Uhm, because Dr. Mallard asked me to leave him alone with Abby since she came down there all upset." Jimmy replied without hesitation.

"Ah, ha! Told you something was going on!" Tony crowed to Ziva. "Something's goin' on and our Probie's up to his neck in responsibility for it, I just know it!"

"Ah, no, Tony, actually, I don't think so." Jimmy offered with trepidation.

"And why would that be, Palmer?" the older man demanded as he got up, stepped over to the younger man and crowded him.

"Because Abby was really upset, talking about something happening to Tim and saying she wasn't supposed to ask questions but wanting to know what Tim had talked to Dr. Mallard about before Christmas when he went through that period of being real upset and withdrawn from everyone."

Tony's eyebrows shot up and his mouth snapped shut as Ziva's eyes closed in distress as it hit her that she'd been right about this all along.

*********NCIS************

"Jethro, we need to call in the rest of your team on this." Jenny reminded him.

"NO. No, we don't Jen." He told her "This guy's a civilian."

"The fact remains that this involves a member of your team. The others deserve to know."

"He's kept this part of his life as private as he possibly could. There's no reason to take that away from him now; especially since you have his Official Resignation right there in your hand."

"And the fact that the remainder of your team are potentially targets?" She bulldozed over the second half of his answer to make her point.

"That's what protection details are for, Jen. Tighten down security in the building while you're at it. Yank his personnel record from the database yesterday and do what he suggested, encrypt the rest asap."

"And you don't think your team's going to want to know why they need that protection?"

Gibbs blew out a sigh of frustration and worry. "Get Ducky up here. He's the only other person that Tim's talked to about this."

Jenny frowned in displeasure but picked up her desk phone and made the necessary calls.

*********NCIS************

Before Ducky could offer anything helpful to their Lab Rat, his desk phone rang and he was quick to answer it "Autopsy."

_"Doctor Mallard, I need to see you up in my office please. And would you be kind enough to bring Abby with you?" _Jenny's voice came through the line loud enough to grab even Abby's attention.

Abby nodded at Ducky and wiped at her tears, accepting the tissue he handed her while answering the Director's instructions. "Yes, Director, we shall be right up."

_"Thank you, Ducky." _Jenny's voice softened as she fell back into the less personal form of address.

"You're quite welcome, my dear." Ducky answered solemnly as he hung up the phone and walked out of his office with Abby by his side. Together, they trooped to the elevator and prepared to answer the summons they'd just received.


	4. Chapter 3

Ducky and Abby entered the Director's Office unannounced and without speaking a word, both two rattled at this point to think about small details like that.

Silently, Gibbs handed Ducky the letter from Tim as Jenny turned to Abby. "Abby, I need you to encrypt every file that relates to Gibbs' team's personal information, including yours, Ducky's and Jimmy's. Several layers and fast."

"Oh, my God!" Abby said as if in shock. "oh, my God! Please tell me, Timmy's okay!"

"Abbs. Go on, get it done, yesterday." Gibbs told her seriously.

Abby nodded and quickly left the office, knowing now, this was much more serious than she'd even thought.

With Abby gone to handle the vital task assigned to her, Gibbs and Jenny were left waiting to see what Ducky had to say about this terrible turn of events.

With his heart breaking for the young man in trouble, the M.E. handed the paper back to Gibbs and spoke at last. "Have you called him?"

"Not yet." Gibbs answered quietly.

"When you do, and I recommend you do it as soon as possible, I would very much like you to put it on speaker so I may hear how he is doing under the strain of this horrendous ordeal." The M.E. replied sadly.

"Any suggestions, Duck?"

"Absolutely, Jethro. Get his mother and sister here as quickly as possible and do what you can to help the poor boy get somewhere equally safe, if not here as well."

"Can't do that, Duck. This is the first place that bastard'll look."

"And the family?" Ducky inquired.

"Not a good idea either." Jenny replied sadly. "For the same reason."

"Do we know if this man working alone?" Ducky asked.

"Have no idea. Haven't gotten the team involved with everything he's worked so hard to keep private, Duck."

"Yes, well as respectful as it may be to keep this whole affair away from the eyes and ears of his team, his protection and that of his family is more important and this family," Ducky pointed to Gibbs and the Director, "can provide that help and protection."

"You sanctioning telling them?" Gibbs asked in surprise.

"Only as much as you have to, Jethro. But they may very well be able to help protect him and his family and will be most upset and possibly even feel betrayed if not allowed to do so. And as I see it, the only other viable option is the Marshalls Witness Protection program – which means we may never see any of them again! Your team providing that protection gives you more control of that."

"Where was this line of thinkin' when I asked you to let me in on what was goin' on with him _before_ he took that trip, Duck?" Gibbs asked with a touch of anger.

"That was different, Jethro. He was in no apparent danger then."

"Doesn't look like it was such a good idea after all, now does it?"

"No." Ducky admitted painfully as his eyes moistened with tears of regret for that ill-fated trip to the prison. He'd had not been able to dissuade Timothy from going and that was the pivotal point that had started this mess.

Gibbs' glare softened at the pain that resided behind those kind eyes, and he shook his head feeling ashamed of turning his anger toward his old friend. "Ah, hell, Duck,it wasn't your fault. Tim's a grown man, a Federal Agent, he understood the risks. Not your fault."

"Wasn't it?" Ducky replied soberly and sighed. "I will admit I may have made a grievous error of judgment, but we learn from those mistakes. Let's pray that our young man and his family doesn't have to pay the ultimate price for this one."

*********NCIS**********

"I need coffee." Tony finally spoke into the depressing silence that had descended on the trio at Jimmy's words regarding Tim's absence. Getting to his feet, he was halfway to the elevator when his desk phone ringing, brought him back at a dead run.

"_Agent DiNozzo."_ The Director's Assistant's voice came through the line.

"Hey, Cynthia, what's up?" Tony asked carefully.

"_Director Shepherd would like to see you and Agent Da'vid right away."_

"We'll be right there." Tony assured her as he hung up the phone and looked over at his partner. "C'mon, looks like we're about to be read into what's going on."

"Good." Ziva answered as she genuinely felt relief flow through her. "Thank you for letting us know what you have found out about McGee." She offered to Jimmy before she and Tony left the squad room and headed up the stairs.

Feeling useless and worried, Jimmy took himself down towards Abby's lab, feeling the sudden need to keep an eye on her in Tim's absence.

As he reached the lab, it was to find the door closed and locked. Unperturbed and determined to make sure she was okay, he knocked loudly enough he had no doubt she'd heard him.

"Go away, I'm busy!" The Lab Rat hollered out.

"Abby! It's Jimmy! I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine, Jimmy. Thanks! "

"Okay, I know you're busy, Call me if you need anything alright?"

"Thanks, Palmer!" Abby called out as she continued on her quest to complete her task as quickly as possible. They were all counting on her, especially Tim. And she would NOT let them down.

*******NCIS**********

"You can go on in." Cynthia told Ziva and Tony when they arrived in her office. "They're expecting you."

"They?" Tony questioned.

"You'll see." Was the surprising answer she gave.

Walking into the Director's Office, Tony was surprised to find Ducky in attendance along with Gibbs and the Director.

"Have a seat, Tony, Ziva." Jenny told them. She looked pointedly at Gibbs.

Jenny started the conversation that would read Tony and Ziva in only as far as necessary to help Tim. "I'm sure we don't have to tell you that something's going on with your missing teammate."

"This have anything to do with the news story of the day?" Tony asked, unable to stay quiet any longer.

"All I can tell you, Agent DiNozzo, is that you are being asked to sit on a very important phone call so that you can offer suggestions as to how to best go about protecting the people at risk at this moment." Was the answer he got from the Director while his boss and the M.E. remained silent. A discreet knock on the door was heard and Cynthia walked in carrying a bag from a store. Silently, she handed the bag to Gibbs and walked back out, locking the door behind herself.

"Okaaay." Tony replied with a confused tone.

Ziva held her tongue. Apparently, she and Tony weren't going to be read in completely but knowing what pieces of the puzzle that she did, Ziva had no problem with that. Based on what Jenny had just said, this was too important to argue the point. In fact, if she was reading things right, they were being asked to help find a way to protect Tim from his dangerous murderer of a father. The father, who, according to the news report, only found out he had a son from Tim himself. She knew Tim hadn't meant for this to happen and was probably devastated that he'd set this horrible ordeal in motion. "Is he alright?" she asked the room at large.

"We don't know yet. Need you two to listen and not say anything until we're sure he is." Gibbs finally spoke as he pulled out the new burn phone and hit the speed dial for his missing agent.

"_Boss."_ Tim's voice was filled with relief so palpable they all felt it.

"You alright?"

Silence came across the line before Tim's verbal answer did. _"Yeah."_ The shakiness didn't escape any of their attention.

"Don't hide anything from me, Probie. Are you okay?" The Boss pushed.

Silence greeted the question for a long minute as Tim was apparently working to process the tone and the nickname from Gibbs; both a rare occasion in their own right, as they all knew. Finally, when it almost seemed as if he wasn't going to answer; he offered one. "_I'm worried; about them." _

Tim's admission was so quiet and shaky it rocked them all. None of them missed what the young man hadn't admitted. It was there in his tone. All of them were left speechless because it was so rare for this man to let anyone see this side of himself. The Team Leader noted that his agent was being extra careful with the words he chose, as if even with all the precaution he'd already taken, he still felt he was being watched or recorded.

Gibbs exchanged hard looks with Ducky and Jenny, ignoring Tony and Ziva for the moment. Ducky motioned that he wanted to speak and Gibbs waved him to it.

"How are you physically, lad? Are you alright?"

"_I'm okay. I was watching the news late last night when it first hit the airwaves. Got out as quick as I could."_Tim replied, seemingly intent on answering their questions before they'd even asked. His voice left no doubt he was on edge and worried.

"Are you eating alright?" the M.E. pushed.

"_I will."_ Tim promised, telling the man he considered to be an honorary uncle that he hadn't stopped to worry about eating until now.

"Probie. Talk to me." Gibbs broke back into the conversation falling back on the nickname he knew no one outside his team would understand.

"_They're together. I know that's not the way it should have been handled…."_

"You did just fine, Probie." Director Shepherd offered soothingly as she grinned at Gibbs. She'd never used that name for the young man before and found it funny doing it at all.

"_Oh, God."_ Tim muttered with embarrassment as he realized just how many people he was actually talking to. _"I…"_

"Focus, Probie." Gibbs ordered quietly. "Where?"

"_L.A."_

"OSP?"

"_For now. Until ..."_

"Understood." Gibbs cut him off before he said too much, wanting to be just as cautious as Tim was being.

_"I couldn't do think what else to do to..." _Tim broke off, his voice breaking from the strain of having to handle the safety of his mother and sister with his killer father on the loose while worrying himself almost sick that the bastard would go after his team first while his back was turned.

"Smart thinkin', Son." Gibbs praised the young man, genuinely impressed with Tim's solution and happy to move the conversation off Tim's struggle to go it alone.

"_It's still too close." _Tim's answer, although as cryptic as he wanted it to be, left no doubt that he was referring to the Agency as a whole being the first place that would be searched for his family members.

"What'd you go by last month?" Gibbs asked him calmly, knowing his agent would understand exactly what he was referring to.

_"Nothing different."_

"Why the hell not?" Tony demanded with a touch of anger, no longer able to hold his tongue..

Gibbs head-smacked Tony as he waited for Tim to answer the question.

_"Didn't have anything to back up anything different."_ Tim answered somewhat quietly considering his partner's anger over the phone line. Tim wasn't defending what he'd done. He knew he should have found a way to have a fake id and use a different name. He knew this was all his fault. He just didn't have time to let this bury him right now. He'd already taken care of his job at the agency. Now NCIS wouldn't be accused of any wrong doing by keeping him employed.

"Not your fault." Gibbs told him sternly, knowing exactly where this was taking his agent's mind. He hadn't missed the self-recrimination thick within the young man's tone.

"No,indeed it is not!" Ducky declared staunchly. "Do not make me have to issue you the first head slap coming from me, young man!"

_"It **is** my fault."_ Tim argued quietly. "And I'm so sorry."

"No, dear boy. It is I who needs to apologize. I let this happen." Ducky admitted with sadness.

_"No!** I** did this! No one else but me. It was a probie mistake. if I hadn't already taken care of my employment status before now, I'm sure I'd be fired when this is over anyway because I didn't go about this the right way and now it's backfired and people are gonna get hurt; maybe even killed!"_

"Probie!" Gibbs barked, angry that Tim was allowing himself to become convinced by this line of thinking, although the boss had seen this coming. It wouldn't do Tim or anyone else any good to continue down this path.

_"I just pray that no one else gets….goes through what ….that again because of this, because of me."_ Tim's voice choked as he stopped talking, obviously too upset to continue with the conversation.

"What we need to do now, is change things up and soon." Jenny put out there, keeping her words just as cryptic even though she was confident her office was secure. Since it was obvious the young man was still operating under the guise of fear, she wouldn't do anything to make it harder for him to relax or he'd wind up making bad choices or worse, panic for his family.

"Come home, Probie." Tony spoke up as he looked steadily at Gibbs.

Gibbs shook his head at his Senior Field Agent. No matter how badly they wanted him here with them, The Team Leader was not about to let Tim to become bait like that.

_"Ah, oh, Oh, God."_ Tim stuttered tiredly, _"No, what I need to do is..."_

"Sit tight, Probie. Unless your castle is infiltrated or you hear from me, You. Sit. Tight." Gibbs ordered quietly.

Silence for a long minute before the answer came back, quiet and shaky. _"Okay."_

"Relax and get some sleep, Dear Probie." Ziva offered quietly with more emotion than she usually allowed them to see.

"Yes, I second that order, young man." Ducky offered gently yet firmly enough Tim would know the M.E. was still worried about him.

"_I will. And thank you."_ Tim's voice was more solid and full of gratitude._ "Stay safe, please."_

As Tim disconnected the call the click that sounded across the line felt like a shot through the heart.


	5. Chapter 4

_A/N: Brief off -screen appearance by OSP's Lara Macy in this chapter._

* * *

"Tony, he _cannot_ come home." Ziva said before any time was wasted. "It is not _safe_ for him here."

"Somebody wanna tell me why the hell that is?" Tony demanded.

"Need to know, DiNozzo and until Tim tells you himself, it's not our call." The boss informed him with all due seriousness.

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm the only one in this room that doesn't know what the hell's going on?" Tony asked angrily.

"Anthony. Would you want your trust betrayed by those you have chosen to confide in on such a serious matter? Best not to let your ego get in the way of your job, young man, not this time, there's too much at stake!" Ducky asked seriously.

"No. Of course not." Tony admitted reluctantly. He stood back and wondered why Ziva would know if she had not been told anything. What pieces of information had she gathered – and why had he failed to do the same?

Gibbs nodded and dialed a number on the burn phone Tim had sent him while sliding the new burn phones Cynthia had brought in toward his agents. "Get the numbers for him and the other two from the Director. Hook Ducky up, too. Somebody check on his family. Then get back to work." Turning his attention to his call, he greeted the person he called as he left the room.

"Hey, Yeah. Need your help with something."

******NCIS******

Tim breathed out a shaky sigh of relief mixed with overwhelming fear as he stretched out on the bed and tried to sleep as the boss had directed him to. He'd never felt this alone. Well, not since he'd been stupid enough to get this whole ball rolling right before Christmas. _Him and his stupid need to get new test results that wound up telling him absolutely nothing that he hadn't already known. He had a serial killer for a father._

As he sat back on the bed, closing his eyes to try to find some peace and rest, his brain wearily, kept going on the replay track, going back over the events that followed that news bulletin.- immediately flashing back to the night before and the worst possible headline he could have ever expected to read as it flashed across the bottom of his tv screen while he'd been watching a movie.

_CONVICTED SERIAL KILLER LUCAS MARTIN HAS ESCAPED FROM DEATH ROW. HE IS CONSIDERED ARMED AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS._

_Wearily, Tim's mind kept going on the replay track, going back over the events that followed that news bulletin._

_**Flashback**_

_Jumping to his feet, Tim's heart pounded in his chest. Mom! Gotta get Mom and Sarah somewhere safe! Snatching up his unused burn phone kept ready for such an emergency, he punched the speed dial for one of the few numbers stored in the phone as his feet took him through the apartment in near panic mode – flinging open the closet door – pulling out the box he'd put together and kept in near complete preparedness- for this most unwelcome of realities. _

_"Tim?" His mom asked with worry._

_"Did you see the news?" Tim didn't waste any time, needing to know the answers._

_"Yes, Honey. I'm ready. Sarah's waiting for me to pick her up so we can go."_

_"Remember the plan? I'll call and make sure they're ready for you."_

_"Be safe, Son._

_"Take Jethro with you!" _

_"I am. Go on now. Get going."_

_"Call me when you're there."_

_"I will."_

_Tim flipped his phone shut, threw the necessary last minute items into the box, quickly taped it up, and stuck the prepared labels on it. He then grabbed his duffle bag from the same closet, turned everything off in his apartment and left, silently and quickly, quickly turning on the radio as he drove his sports car toward the one place he knew it would be safe in his absence. The rest of the news report rattled through his brain in vivid detail:_

_"This just in, convicted death row inmate Lucas Martin has escaped from custody just days before his long scheduled execution. Martin faked being ill to the point that prison officials sent him to be seen at the nearest Emergency Room. Enroute to that hospital, Martin apparently killed the guards and escaped with the van they were driving in, leaving the guards on the side of the deserted highway miles outside of town. It's believed that the serial killer has escaped with one purpose in mind, to find the woman who had a son by him when he raped her over 30 years ago. Apparently, Martin only recently found out about this offspring when he was confronted in a face to face visit, when the young man requested something from which to obtain a fresh DNA sample._

_Martin is considered extremely dangerous and is armed. Both security guards were missing their weapons…"_

_Tim turned the radio off with a vicious jab. Damn it to hell! This was his fault! He did this! If he'd never gone to the bastard demanding that hair sample, this never would have happened! God, he wished he could call Gibbs right now! But, no! He wasn't about to endanger any of them. He'd caused enough damage and they'd catch his father; Oh, God, if only Dad were here! Can't believe this nightmare is happening! Dad, why'd you have to go and die on me like that?_

"_FOCUS, McGee!" Tim mentally yelled at himself as he stopped at the main gate and let the guards check him in. Quickly and quietly, he drove where he needed to go, did what he needed to do as he parked his car where it would be safe and headed back out to the main gate on foot – under the cover of the predawn darkness. Hopefully the cab he'd requested would already be there for him. He needed to get off the base, fast. They needed to catch that man before he hurt somebody though. But, it's Mom he wants, not me! No! That monster's not getting his hands on her! Ever! _

_As he sat back in the cab, confident that he was safe since he'd had the security guards at the gate check the driver out, Tim closed his eyes and prayed that no one would get hurt before Martin was apprehended. He couldn't think of him as his father. It hurt too damn much. His father was dead, having died back in November and most days Tim was still grieving for him in one way or another. _

_Now, he couldn't dwell on that. Now, he needed to think as he had the cab stop off at the nearest UPS store that was open all night and dropped off the box that needed to be delivered at first light. _

_Back in the cab, he sat back and tried to rest while he was driven to his prearranged destination._

_Hours later, bus change after bus change and method of transportation change over as well, Tim once again was finally able to sit back and relax, although he remained too keyed up and worried to actually sleep. As the train had taken him away from D.C. and even further away from the Correctional Center Martin had escaped from, he began to breathe just a tad bit easier. Easier, that is, until he remembered those he was leaving behind and all the innocent women who were the serial killer's potential targets because he, Tim McGee had set this in motion less than a month ago._

_***End Flashback***_

Wiping the unwanted moisture from his eyes, Tim did his best to stop thinking about it all, at least long enough to focus on the good that had actually come from this. He and his mom were closer than ever, although this topic never came up; it remained the unspoken burden they both shared. She'd been quick to reassure him that he was loved – had always been loved – for himself and not held responsible for who his father happened to be.

Though it had been difficult, Tim was beginning to believe that being the end result of a violent rape wasn't something he should let color who he'd become. And now everything was all blown to hell. Suddenly, it didn't matter that it had happened before so much as it was a desperate concern that it was about to happen again. Only this time the bastard wouldn't stop with rape and it was pretty much a given that he wouldn't stop with his sole surviviving victim, either. The victim's daughter would be an even better prize. The best trophy he could brag about.

Shuddering, Tim got up, no longer even remotely tired. Gibbs told him to sit tight and so he would, but damn it; that had been hours ago and this was driving him insane! Whipping out his phone, he hit the speed dial number for the person he most needed to talk to right now.

**_**NCIS**_**

_Gibbs reacted instinctively, quickly reaching out, grasping Tim by his shoulders and pulling him into a sympathetic embrace in hopes of grounding him in physical as well as rare emotional support_.

_"Need you to tell me why you moved without telling anyone or even asking for anyone's help."_

_"Because of him. I don't want him to be able to ever find me. If no one knows where I live, he can't use them to get to me."_

_"He's on death row. Scheduled for his 'government sanctioned dirt nap' as Tony puts it, in less than a month. You really think that's something you need to worry about, Tim?" _

_"I can't help it, Boss. I won't be able to breathe easy until …"_

_"Okay, want you to promise me that if you ever have a problem with this, you'll let me know."_

_***END FLASHBACK****_

The ringing of his cell phone jarring him out of his memory, the Team Leader snatched it open before he realized it wasn't his usual phone but the one Tim had sent him – only for emergency contact until this crisis was over. _Crap! What else was going wrong for this kid?_ "What's wrong? "

"_I'm sorry."_ Tim's guilt-laden voice filled the phone line – and spoke volumes of why the young man wasn't sleeping right now as he should have been.

"There was no way you could have known this would happen." Gibbs was quick to reassure him he had a free pass on responsibility on this one.

"_But I suspected. Took every precaution. Except the one that mattered most."_

"Gonna spend all your time pilin' on the guilt or help us catch him by _listening_ to me and stayin' outta sight while we track him down?"

"_Sorry I woke you."_ The resignation of being alone came through loud and clear and Gibbs felt like he'd just slapped the kid when he was already damn near his lowest point.

Needing to keep him from sinking any lower, the older man did what he could to pull him back up. "Hey!"

"_Sir?"_

"Stop apologizing and stop wallowing and get some sleep. I'm expecting you to lay low til 9 tomorrow night – you've got a bus to catch, Tom E. Your ride will be waiting for ya when you get there. Until you hear from me again, don't move – unless you absolutely have to. Make only 1 trip out if you need something."

"_Thanks."_

"Anytime, Son. Anytime."

_**Click**_

Gibbs looked at the phone in his hand and wondered how the hell things could have gone so horribly wrong in his youngest agent's life. And how he, Gibbs, the protector of his team, the one who demanded his team anticipate, did he not realize it was coming, despite having been read into the situation that had precipitated this mess. The kid had warned him – had tried to stay alert to this possibility and yet, Gibbs himself had blown off the very notion that this would happen. And now the kid was on the run for his life, trying like hell to stay off the monster's radar. Running while praying the agency he'd poured his heart and soul into working for these last few years could be trusted to keep his mother and sister out of the hands of this madman who had killed ten women, before raping and attempting to kill Tim's mother, over thirty years ago.

With a sigh of frustration, anger and exhaustion, the Team Leader turned to his company. "How are we ever gonna get him to not take this as his own personal screw-up, Duck? Especially if this bastard does start killin' again?"

The weary M.E. shook his head from where he sat next to his long-time friend in the younger man's living room. "I'm not sure we'll be able to, Jethro. But for right now, let's just concentrate on keeping him alive as well as his sister and mother."

"The LA Office has everything under control. Not gonna draw attention to their location by checking up on 'em."

"Jethro. We do need to see or at least hear for ourselves that they are in fact alright."

"Plan on it. Comin' with me?"

"Where are we going?"

"MTAC"

"Oh. I might have known."

"That a yes, Duck?"

"Absolutely, Jethro. Absolutely."

**_****NCIS****_**

Within the hour, they had visible confirmation that both Mrs. McGee and her daughter were safe and sound in the protective custody of the OSP Office in L.A. After reassuring both of them that Tim was indeed safe and being kept that way. The women agreed to stay there in protective custody until Lucas Martin had been captured and returned to prison.

It had been hard to see the fear in Mrs. McGee's eyes when Gibbs knew exactly why it was there, not only for her son, but for the horrid rape she'd endured at this madman's hands over thirty years ago. The result had been her the subsequent birth of her son. Now she had reason to fear for her daughter as well. Men like Martin didn't stop with one rape, especially when they didn't fear the law.

As a precautionary measure, Gibbs advised the OSP Team Leader Lara Macy to separate the women, to keep one from being used against the other should that monster somehow get his hands on them. Rather than take it personally against her agency's ability to protect the McGee women, Macy nodded silently before signing off without further conversation.

After seeing Ducky home safely, along with the NCIS Agent assigned to protect the M.E., Gibbs headed home, finally able to breathe , knowing his team was safe – thanks to their protection details and the way they backed each other up. But the voice inside his head wouldn't go quiet. The whispered questions kept circulating in his ears. _"Were they really all safe? Was it the right thing – hiding Tim while the monster was on the loose?"_

The former Marine's head answered firmly that it was the right thing to do so that Tim could not be used as a pawn against his mother or siste , as well as the other way around. Martin's goal was pretty much understood, though, to be that of finding and raping Mrs. McGee again. He'd made no bones about his interest in doing so when Tim had visited him in December, and after having been in prison for the last 30 plus years, it was something that could happen, if the right people let their guards down.

Gibbs was counting on Macy to not let that happen. Tim was counting on him and he would not let the young man down.


	6. Chapter 5

_A/N: My deepest apologies for the delay in updating._

_A special Thank You to my BETA - Gottahavemyncis - YOU ROCK!  
_

**Warning** - Hold on to your seats!

* * *

Surprisingly enough, after talking to Gibbs, Tim was able to let the exhaustion that had been lurking all day take over and let him sleep. Setting his alarm for seven pm he huffed out a laugh. _Yeah. As if he'd be sleeping for more than 8 hours! Not likely. He'd be lucky if he was able to sleep for 2!_

As sleep swooped in, the last thought that crossed Tim's mind was, _Please, God, don't let him hurt anybody else._

.

******NCIS******

_"…it has been revealed, had been informed he'd fathered a child during his criminal activities._

_Sadly enough, that information came to light when the alleged son, formerly unaware of his family __connection__ to Lucas, visited the convicted killer, requesting a DNA sample. Officials say that visit ended with veiled threats from Martin, directed toward the young man's mother, whom Martin claimed, "was the beautiful one…"_

Tony started at the television news, not seeing but listening as the report from earlier on the escaped killer, Lucas Martin, aired yet again. This time it was as if the words reached out and smacked him upside the head "Oh my God!" Reaching for the phone, he hit the speed dial number with one hand without even looking, while hitting the remote mute button with his other hand.

_"__This'd better be important, DiNozzo."_ Gibbs growled over the phone line. _"It's damn near two in the mornin'!"_

"Lucas Martin."

_"What about 'im?"_ The growl deepened with the short tempered question.

"Name's been all over the news for close to 24 hours now."

"_There a point to you wakin' me up, DiNozzo? Or do you just enjoy tryin' my patience?"_

"It all fits, Boss. What Tim said to me that night I got him drunk? What he said that night? His movin' without tellin' us? All the times he refused to go out with us after work? The way he acted so shocked when his mom showed up for Christmas? And now the fact that he's hidin' out since this guy's escaped – I'm tellin' ya it all fits!"

"_Not anything I didn't already know, DiNozzo."_

"Oh, right! So this killer – is Probie's father?" Tony asked incredulously although his brain has already smacked him with that reality.

"_Get some sleep DiNozzo – need you sharp in a coupla hours!"_

"Boss, this can't be real!"

"_DiNozzo."_ This time the tone was soft, almost coddling, for all of one heartbeat before the seriousness climbed into it. _"Pretty damn sure it feels real to McGee."_

"Oh, God, Boss! That crack I made about serial killers having kids! "

"_Nowhere near what he's got on his mind right now, Tony."_ Gibbs firmly reminded his Senior Field Agent.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Tony lurched to his feet, dropping his phone and beating a hasty trail to his bathroom.

******NCIS******

Gibbs sighed as he flipped his phone shut and laid back down on his couch. _Yeah, he'd known that was coming. He just wished it hadn't come at 2 AM_. He needed to try to find some sleep. They all did and Tony was smart enough and tough enough to work his way through this wave of guilt and come out ready to do whatever was needed to keep the McGee family safe and still do what the Agency required of him. It was what was expected of them and they all knew it.

Matter of fact, if it wasn't for the chance of Tim being used by this killer as a pawn against his mother, he would still be going through the normal routine instead of hiding out and laying as low as he could. Hell, it was risky enough sending him where he would be safest as it was, but Gibbs knew in his gut that it was the right thing to do. He sent up another silent prayer of thanks for the close relationship he had with Mike; that he could call on him in a pinch, especially when it concerned protecting one of their own.

Breathing out another sigh, all the Team Leader could do was hope the young man currently on his mind was finally sleeping after that guilt-ridden phone call earlier in the night. He needed to stay sharp while he got himself to the bus station later in the afternoon. Gibbs knew there was no guarantee of that with everything that had to be going through his mind. Hope. All they had was hope.

Hope that the FBI's manhunt wouldn't take too long and that it would be successful without anyone else getting killed. Hope that Tim made it to Mike without any problems. Hope that his youngest would not be charged as an accessory for the guards that had been killed; his agent, Tim, no his former agent, who had no idea his visit to request a fresh DNA sample would turn into this avalanche of horror, fear and worry. Without even realizing it, his eyes slid closed and sleep found him in the midst of his thoughts.

******NCIS******

Smiling broadly, the tall darkly dressed man stepped out of the shadows, allowing the movement to bring a touch of warmth to his cold, weary limbs. Both of his hands plant themselves deeper into his coat pockets, his left soothingly caressing the soft garment he'll be using before too much longer. Long hours spent as still as a statue, watching and waiting have stiffened his limbs almost painfully. Eyes darting everywhere now for a brief moment, his nerves clamor for some sense of calm. He needs that aura of carefulness he's functioned under for the past month; that same watchfulness that has allowed him to get this far in fulfilling his plan, with every opportunity now available to him to reach his ultimate goal.

With his focus solely on the one thing he wants more than anything else in life, he's become even more dangerous and unstoppable because in his eyes, it is the justification for it all, no guilt, no concern, just single-minded focus, determined and unstoppable, thanks to the weapon in his right pocket. His right hand caresses it as he would a woman's soft skin. _A woman, right!_

Reminded of why he's here on this dark street at this point in time, why he's enacted this elaborate scheme that has so far worked; granting him the escape to freedom. In fact, he should be dead already; at least if the government had had its' way. Instead, he freely takes a moment, deliberately calms his breathing and reminds himself to continue thinking twice before making any move; especially if it's a step that doesn't adhere strictly to his meticulously laid out plan.

Not doing that is why he's spent the last thirty years in a cell, with little more to pass the time than boring television and a library full of books he hasn't been able to read. Even worse, it's why he came perilously close to the end of the road, the electric chair waiting for the appointment he had for it just days before.

Even harassing the rest of the losers he's been surrounded by all these years hasn't interested him lately. That's something that helped play into his hands, laying the foundation for his long range plan, a risk he needed to take to give his 'illness' credibility. It worked; the fact that he's standing here, firmly entrenched in phase 2 of his plan is testament to that.

He has accidentally allowed his eyes to wander too close to the harsh white bulb of a nearby street lamp and now blinks to clear the burning sensation behind his eyelids. He stops and takes in the neighborhood his plan has brought him to. It makes him leery and extra watchful, though it is the still dark, dawn won't be along for a while yet, and the streets are deserted except for the parked cars and a few barking dogs out in the yards behind the houses. He can do this. It will be painstaking and boring, but he knows that it has to be done because he has to figure out the pattern before he can move forward toward his final goal.

Once he takes that next step in his plan, there will be no turning back and no room for mistakes or second guesses. He has to get it right and it has to be just as soon as he has the right moment picked out, hence the reason for establishing routine; that one special moment that will be perfect to make his move is so crucial. Without it, the whole plan, weeks of hard work and brainstorming, will be for naught and he'll come away empty handed.

Failure is not an option. Lots of people will get hurt if failure is all that he has to look forward to after all the trouble he has gone through to reach his prize. His past is full of people who have died for his cause and it will not bother him to spend the rest of his days journeying down that road once again if it is all he has left to live for. After all, the thrill of the hunt is all that has ever meant anything to him; until now; when the flame his soul had long kept secret; even to himself; was re-lit for this woman; in a twist of fate, by her own son; their son!

The very realization that he'd fathered a child with the beautiful woman he'd coupled with so exotically, no matter what anyone else would ever call it; makes his heart sing in a way it hasn't done in a very long time. It has reawakened his zest for life but only if she is a part of that life. Not being able to hold her and bask in her beauty; in all her beauty, until his insatiable thirst has long been quenched, will not end well. He _must_ have her. He aches with the need of her, growling at the mere thought of anyone standing in his way now.

The hard part is behind him. Faking several seizures closely enough together that he'd be rushed off the prison grounds to the hospital has been stressful and exhausting after several weeks of deliberately weakening his body, all for the sake of his plan. In fact, he still feels the effect, needing the lamp post to hold him up for a bit.

It has taken every waking moment to formulate this plan and work towards putting it into play, forcing himself to let his health go just enough so that when the right moment arrived, his plight would be absolutely believable. From the moment it occurred to him while that kid was talking to him back in December, it is a plan he's been looking forward to carrying out and consumes his every thought.

With that in mind, he reminds himself that the rest of his plan will be a piece of cake, although there are quite a few things that have to happen for it to work. The first step will happen right here in just a few hours. In fact, if his information is right, and it had better be or there will be hell to pay, his wait is almost over.

He smiles to himself again as the rest of what he needs to do unfolds itself in his mind in photographic detail straight from the dreams that have kept him going these past few weeks. When all is said and done and he's followed the steps that will get him what he wants, he'll be able to hold the prize in his arms again. Won't she be pleasantly surprised to see him again? Whoa, what a night it will be! Just thinking about it is getting him all excited. Coupling with her again, this time with no one to stop them, is the ultimate way to live and in less than a week he will have it all and no one will be able to take her from him again

Checking his watch one last time, he frowns. Time is crawling by and he still has several hours before he expects anyone to be up, before he'll see lights beginning to come on in the homes around him. He's surprised, when the very house he's watching is the first one to show signs of life. The upstairs middle window is suffused with light much earlier than he expects; the shadow of a tall adult moving around awakens his senses. The appointed hour is almost upon him.

With a hunger that has nothing to do with food, he grins, anticipation sharpening his senses as he fades back into the darkness and stealthily moves into position, hunkering down for the long silent wait; his focus sharply fine-tuned exactly where it needs to be to get this right. With a silent predatory smile, he relishes the feeling of victory that is coming his way.

******NCIS******

Morning found them all apparently sleep walking, though somehow they made in to work without being late or calling attention to themselves any more than usual. In a rare showing of absolute concern, Jenny stood almost guard-like on the landing of the stairs until they'd all arrived. Though she didn't speak, the instant relaxing of the tension in her shoulders said it all for her as Tony, the last one to straggle in, silently slunk to his desk and sat down, not speaking to anyone.

Knowing how atypical that was of the Senior Field Agent, Jenny frowned and took the first step towards going down to talk to her agent. A sharp shake of Gibbs' head stopped her. _Okay, so he was on top of this too. Well, good. _With a nod of understanding, she turned and headed back up to her office, now satisfied that her MCRT, the ones left to shoulder on alone, were here and alright. She'd already done this routine with Abby and her people in Autopsy. Lucas Martin's escape and the effect it was having on her people was beginning to give her a very bad feeling that showed no signs of going away.

Looking at both of his agents as they struggled to get their brains to come online, Gibbs frowned. He had already remembered, from that same moment in time that was now tearing a guilt trip though Tony, that Ziva had become fully aware of exactly was going on with Tim back in December and had also put the pieces together about his current situation. Now it was affecting both of them in ways that was doing neither of them any good. Walking out around his desk, he gestured for Ziva to join him at Tony's workspace. "Only gonna say this once. McGee needs us to stay sharp, focused and do our jobs. The FBI is handling this. Best thing we can do for McGee is stay out of the way and stay **off **this monster's radar. Understood?"

"Yes, Gibbs." Ziva answered quietly as she processed the fact that his announcement meant that Tony now knew what was going on with McGee. _When had he figured it out? Who had told him? Was he alright? One could never tell with Tony, but it was already obvious that he wasn't 'alright'; maybe she could be of some help?_Glancing at the boss, she was heartened to see him nod at her, as if understanding what she was more concerned about than work right now.

Glancing at his Senior Field Agent, Gibbs frowned. The man looked like he hadn't slept a wink since calling Gibbs at 2. "DiNozzo."

"Yeah, Boss." Tony's lackluster answer did not go unnoticed.

"Thought I told you to get some sleep?"

"Sorry, Boss. Just couldn't …." Tony stopped trying to get his thought out. He just couldn't gather up the energy. Sleep, while desperately needed, wasn't his top priority right now. Shoveling on the guilt seemed to be his only mission and right about now, he was already knee-deep in it and it felt like quicksand. He couldn't get out of it. Couldn't even see anything else in front of him. He was definitely stuck.

"Go see Ducky. And don't show your face back up here til you've had some sleep." Gibbs ordered. "Ziva. Cold cases. _Don't _leave the building. Either of you!" With that order given, the Team Leader headed to the break room for coffee before going to talk to Jenny.

The Boss's words hit Tony like a ton of bricks, verifying for him the knowledge that Ziva had in fact, already known what was going on with Tim. Looking over at her, he was startled to find her standing right in front of him, concern evident in her eyes.

"You did know." He accused her though not at full volume.

"Yes, Tony I did."

When'd you find out? Did he tell you?"

"No, Tony. He did not. What happened to you last night? You were not anywhere this upset when you left."

"Heard the news report – again." Tony admitted.

"Tony, that same report has broadcasted numerous times – so the public will stay alert and on the lookout for this man." Ziva tried to remind him.

"Yeah, Ziva, I know. But last night, it was… what she was saying reached out and just grabbed me, ya know?"

"Which part, Tony?' Ziva asked her friend. She hated to think he'd become this upset over the news – but her gut was telling her that was exactly what had happened.

"The part that makes what I said back in December about serial killers having kids – like the absolutely cruelest thing I've ever said to him." Tony admitted quietly. Laying his head down in his hands, he wrestled with the urge to smack himself harder than Gibbs ever had. _God, how could he have been so cruel?_

_***Flashback***_

_"I got it!"_

_"Got what? DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked as he put his pen down and looked over at his Senior Agent._

_"Boss!This case? It's the last in a long line of murders with the same m.o., right? But this one is a good 15 years after the last one that fits the others."_

_"Yeah. Okay? Doesn't explain what it is 'you got' DiNozzo." The boss reminded him._

_"Classic case of the copycat, Boss. Only this time, it's the son copycatting his serial killer of a father! That's why the DNA seemed hinky. What I wanna know is what kind of woman would sleep with a serial killer and have his kid? I mean, who would want to have offspring from a guy like that? Haven't these women ever heard of 'like father, like son?" Tony ranted on as he stood in front of the plasma screen at the edge of the squad room. "I can't imagine what it would be like to be the son of a serial killer. Probably never able to look yourself in the mirror just from the shame and the guilt alone! Ugh!"_

_The boss looked over at his ranting agent before stepping up to him and asking him:_

_"You done?"_

_"Boss?"_

_"You're done."_

_"But…"_

_"Enough, DiNozzo. Stick to the facts and quit the judgmental B.S. that doesn't solve the case!" Gibbs hissed at him._

_"Huh? Oh, right! Okay, sorry, Boss." Tony gave back flippantly and quickly moved back to the point. "I'll stake my next paycheck on it, Boss. This is the work of the son, trying to be his father's copycat."_

_"Yeah, heard you the first time, DiNozzo. Until you bring me facts to back that up, how about you get back to looking into the facts of the case?"_

_"Oh, sure, Boss." Tony answered as he turned away from the Plasma TV and headed back to his desk. "Hey, where'd Probie go? Wait a minute! Both of them are missing!" Tony objected as he looked around him and finally noticed he and Gibbs were the only two in the squad room._

_"They're not missing, DiNozzo, get to work!" Gibbs told him quietly; _

_***End Flashback***_

"That was not too long after we discovered McGee had moved without telling us – AND just days _after_ that was the Monday he didn't come to work until Gibbs went and got him. It all fits. The night I got him drunk, he said his dad had died but that it hurt to find out his dad wasn't his dad. Oh, Man! Ziva, do you know what this means? Wait a minute, why am I even asking you? You've known since …since when?"

"Since that day you made that very ugly generalization you just spoke of, Tony." Ziva answered him quietly. "I watched as McGee attempted to stand tall while feeling the pain of your ugly attitude as it struck him in the heart."

"Don't, Ziva. Okay? It's already made me so sick to my stomach that I couldn't even sleep last night. Can't believe I said that!"

"Tony, it does not matter if this has any personal bearing on any of us, so much as it matters that you should not say things like that at all, ever! That is the only reason I say these things to you, not to hurt you but to wake you up to the fact that you need to stop and think before you speak!"

"She is right, you know." Abby's unusually quiet voice came at them from behind Tony as she rounded the corner of the divider that cordoned off his work area from the stairs.

"I know, I know, alright?" Jeez! What, you want me to get down on my knees and beg for forgiveness?"

Abby giggled. "Not from us, you goofball. From McGee when he gets back."

"No." Gibbs refusal came from behind Abby as he walked on around them and continued on to his desk. "There will be no discussion of that or ANY of it when McGee gets back. Don't make me repeat myself."

"Yes, Boss."

"Yes, Gibbs."

"Okay, Boss man." Abby saluted him, a cheerful smile on her face. "I guess you're wondering why I'm not all mopey and sad while Timmy's not here, right?"

"Because you know he's fine and he'll be back when he can be." Gibbs answered her quest for attention to her mood. "You need some work to do, Abby? Cause I can find you somethin' to do."

"Ooh, no, I'm fine." The Lab Rat smirked as she took just a few steps toward the back elevator.

"Was no one listening when I spoke earlier?" Gibbs asked in that deceptively quiet tone that spoke of dire consequences if they didn't straighten up soon.

Scurrying like rats leaving a sinking ship, the three of them scattered to where they were supposed to be headed, with Tony accompanying Abby to the elevator, hating like hell to admit the boss was right and he really needed some sleep.

Ziva, on the other hand, was quick to bury herself once again in the often unappreciated drudgery of cold case reviewing, but not without periodically casting forlorn glances in the direction of the desk of one sadly absent Tim McGee.


	7. Chapter 6

_A/N: A few surprise appearances in this chapter - oh and hold on- it's about to get a little bumpy!_

* * *

_Seven days later_

The team stared at the television set with something akin to disappointment and frustration as the reporter droned on about yet another day with Lucas Martin still on the loose. In the seven days since the madman's escape, all contact with their teammate had stopped. The only thing they knew was that the Team Leader knew where Tim was, that he was safe and going to stay that way. Gibbs had deliberately left it at that and made no bones about expecting them to do the same, after reminding them that the burn phones they'd been given with Tim's number and those of his family members in hiding, was for emergency contact only. Much as they hated it, minimal contact was crucial in keeping the McGees off the radar as well as the NCIS team since they had no way of knowing what Martin had access to and what he did or did not know about any of them. Worst of all was not knowing who was helping the monster in all of this and just where, how or when it would all end.

Even Director Shepherd had stopped her peculiar guard over the squad room until her full team was in place. Maybe Gibbs had spoken to her or perhaps she just realized it wasn't necessary. Either way, it was kind of nice to have things getting back to normal, well, as normal as they could be with one of them hiding out. Even any inquiries into the status of Tim's sister and mother weretaboo, as if the boss thought the room was bugged or something.

It had been a very stressful seven days; none of them was happy that Tim still couldn't come home because the FBI hadn't been able to find this sick bastard. It ate away at Tony's gut, the former Police Detective in him nearly gnashing his teeth in frustration. It was this mess that was keeping the MCRT out of the field and it was this mess that was keeping them from being able to bring their own back home where he belonged. But worst of all, they weren't even allowed to work on the case!

Abby had admitted to seeking solace with the Sisters she often turned to for comfort in difficult times while Tony and Ziva kept each other company and tried to keep the discussion about Tim to a minimum. Somehow, some way, they always wound up talking about him by the time they'd settled at Ziva's for the night. Ranging in topics from the good memories to the bad ones, between the two of them, they managed to keep their endangered teammate's spirit alive. She'd taken to encouraging Tony to stay the night on her couch so he would not be alone with his guilt or his urge to take matters into his own hands, go out, and hunt the murderer down himself.

Nights spent talking or just listening and helping each other through not only the guilt, but the worry of what this was doing to Tim, seemed to help get them back on their feet and kept their heads in the game better than those first few days when this had all come down. Gibbs noticed the difference and felt a stab of not only pride but relief as well. He knew they'd buck up and be there for each other when they needed to be. Now, if they could just help the FBI catch this guy.

With a daily, brief yet frustratingly unchanged update from Fornell, Gibbs was not encouraged in the least that they'd find this guy soon. His only relief came from the knowledge that Mike Franks had Tim safely on that secluded beach – and nobody knew he was there but the two of them. Since catching a tour bus to the closest bustling city to Mike, Tim had done as he'd been instructed – and lain low until Mike, himself, saw him safely back to that out of the way stretch piece of the earth he called home. Though the last call had been just last night – from Tim's burn phone to Gibbs' – it had been Mike on the phone.

_***Flashback***_

"_Probie, he's fine. Been fine for almost a week now. Relax. I ain't gonna let anything happen to him."_

"I know, Mike. Appreciate it, too."

"_It's like I tell ya all the time, Probie. Ya do what you have to for family."_

"Yeah, Mike, you're right about that. Thanks."

_***End Flashback***_

******NCIS******

It's been an excruciatingly slow week full of waiting, watching and remembering every detail and every exact time the important things took place. All of that time, attention to detail and effort spent doesn't matter now. In fact, all of it is now a barely discernible memory, already fading to the recesses of his mind now that his patience and diligence has paid off and the moment for him to strike, when it arrived some thirty minutes ago, was more than he'd ever hoped for; more fun, more thrilling and definitely more fruitful. So much so, he can't help but think back on it with a satisfied smile and relish that moment yet again in his mind:

_***Flashback***_

_One perfectly timed movement of his hand – brandishing the comforting, smooth, cold handle, lovingly caressing the trigger as he brought the weapon out of hiding and positioned it perfectly while stepping out of his perfectly chosen hiding spot and FINALLY speaking only the six simple and much rehearsed words needed in this moment._

"_One false move and she's dead."_

Standing here now, with the hardest step of all in his long-range plan freshly behind him with apparent success, the rest looking to be fun and genuinely exciting, he smiles. Behind the mask that has been keeping his hands warm in his pocket for the past week, the depth of that smile brings crinkles to his face around his eyes.

_Now, he's less than 24 hours away from complete success; that prize he wants above all else. It's time for the next step. With one movement of his hand, he holds the key to getting everything he wants. With his patience at an all-time low, he makes his next command even shorter, yet just as forceful and quiet when he speaks it, _

"Inside! Now_!"_

_He's done it! As he's silently obeyed, he can't help inwardly laughing at the shock and fright that seems to be keeping all things quiet as he bullies through the steps of his plan; one successful step at a time. _

_.***End Flashback***_

A whimper from his human trump card brings him back from that cherished moment with a jolt. There is no time to waste. All of the waiting and watching has been for this moment. With the broadest of smiles behind the mask, he cheerfully lets the other player in this game know what the next move needs to be, inwardly rejoicing at the fear and devastation strewn across those features. _Ah, yes, he's done it again: brilliant strategy has once again brought him success! His Ace-in-the hole of choice is definitely a cherished one. Keeping me from hurting or even having any fun with either of them is obviously at the forefront of the poor sod's mind. This should be easy_. Clapping his hands together purely for dramatic affect, he clears his throat loudly before speaking.

"Alright then, shall we get this show on the road? All you have to do – is exactly what I tell you to do. Once you've done that, you'll both be free to go. I give you my word."

******NCIS******

The ringing of his cell phone dragged Gibbs back from his thoughts of that phone call as he answered the one coming in now. "Yeah. Gibbs."

"_We got him."_ Tobias Fornell spoke in a quiet tone into his cell phone. "_Lucas Martin's in custody. It's over."_

"This a joke, Tobias_?"_

"_I don't joke about things like this, Jethro." _

"No, No, ya don't. Where'd ya find 'im?"

"_Not as far away as you might think."_

"No press?"

"_Don't want it getting out until we've sewed it all up."_

"Thanks for the heads up, Fornell."  
_  
"Yeah."_

*******NCIS******

Gibbs frowned as he closed his cell phone. For someone with good news, Fornell certainly didn't sound too happy or even relieved. His friend and colleague would never lie to him about anything like this. Ever. It made sense that they didn't want the press all over this thing yet; with all the pieces of the case still needing to be sewn up tight. Chalking up his friend's less than positive sounding call to exhaustion and stress from a very long week, the Team Leader put it out of his mind enough to focus on what he needed to do next.

With a smile on his face, Gibbs bounded up the stairs to Jenny's office. He needed to update her so she could make the executive call. Along the way, his thoughts ran the gambit: _it didn't matter if the dirt bag was already on death row and his future already figured out. The date of his execution had passed, so when his government sanctioned dirt nap would take place now was up for the judicial system to decide. The bottom line was, the bastard had been caught and the McGee Family could go back to living again_.

*****NCIS******

"And you don't find it strange that we haven't heard this yet? No press – no phone call?" Jenny questioned worriedly once Gibbs had told her what he knew. "Your gut's not tellin' you this is a crock?"

"Jen. Tobias would never lie about this. He'd never put any of us in danger like that."

"Well, you're right about that. Alright, call your agent home. It's been a hell of a long seven days and I'm sure he's more than ready to see his family. Have them meet here. NCIS will pay the tab."

"You wanna fly them across country after they've been holed up under protection for the past week?"

"Yes, Jethro. Escorted safely here as soon as they can get here." Jenny ordered. "They deserve to know that the entire agency has been protecting them and see for themselves that Tim is safely back home as well. Don't worry – I'll handle the calls for Mrs. McGee and her daughter. You just get your agent home. Yesterday!"

******NCIS*******

Flipping his cell phone shut, the knife that was Gibbs' genuine gratitude twisting in his heart, Tobias Fornell tossed the offending object that felt like it was burning him for his betrayal on the bed that stood five feet in front of him, his eyes never leaving the frightened and confused gaze of his life, his heart, his love – his daughter Emily - eight years old next week.

"There, now, that wasn't so hard, was it, Mr. FBI?"

Reluctantly, Tobias Fornell took his eyes off his daughter and turned them to the ski mask wearing madman with the gun in his hand – pointed right at Emily, his trigger finger nervously twitching.

"I did what you wanted, now let her go! She's been stuck in that chair for two hours now!"

"Oh, you don't have anything to worry about, Mr. FBI – I'm not stupid enough to do anything that will have the whole of America's finest hunting me down. I'm not gonna lay a finger on your precious little girl. But you'll have to relax. You see, I've been so busy watching your ex-wife and finding the perfect moment just so your beautiful little girl here could join us for this party and I think I'd like to stay for just a bit longer, if that's alright with you. That _is _alright with you, isn't it, Mr. FBI?"

"Are you giving me a choice?" Tobias asked dryly, knowing full well the man behind the mask and the gun wasn't doing any such thing,

"Not really. No. See, I've been locked up for the past thirty years or so and now that I'm free, I'd kinda like to play around a little, ya know what I mean? Think about it, Mr. FBI. Thirty years without most things you probably take for granted every single minute of the day. But do you know what I missed most being in the pen? The right woman. You believe that? Yeah, I can see it in your eyes. You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about. When the right woman shares your bed, there's nothing else like it in the world. Nothing more important either. Not. Even. Kids."

Those cold dark eyes glaring out from the holes in the ski mask stared at Emily, bringing forth a whimper of fright from Fornell's little girl.

"Ooh, poor baby!" The madman mocked her. "Do I scare you? I think you need to BE QUIET!"

"Hey, you don't have to yell at her, you're already scaring her! What the hell do you expect?" The angry father reacted in the face of the bully targeting his child.

"What I expect, Mr. FBI – is for you to do exactly as I say – if you want to get out of here alive. I said I wouldn't hurt her. Never said anything about not hurting you."

"Please! Don't hurt my daddy!" Emily cried as she launched herself into her father's arms, despite the fact that Tobias hadn't moved off the bed he'd been ordered to sit on by this creep, some two hours ago.

The masked man growled angrily before making deliberately visible calming breaths. As the frightened little girl tried to curl into her father's arms, an eerie silence fell down around them. Suddenly, it was as if the madman couldn't wait any longer to be done with this whole situation. "Mr. FBI – if you want your daughter to remain unharmed, I suggest you tell her to GET BACK IN THAT CHAIR!

Emily flew back to the chair she'd been stuck sitting in for the better part of the morning, sobbing and shaking with fright.

"Now. That's better." As the man circled around Emily's chair, the gun in his hand now touched her – first on the back of her head and then on around to her cheek bone as the man walked in several circles.

Without warning, the crazy man turned the gun on Tobias. "Lock her in here! Now! No way out No communication – no funny business!"

The father in Tobias wanted to refuse to do that to his little girl – leaving her no way out without knowing what was going to happen to him once he'd done it. However, the FBI Agent in him realized it was the only way to make sure this didn't end in bloodshed. Getting to his feet, he looked this man threatening their lives and told him the truth. "She doesn't have a cell phone or laptop – she's only 8." Tobias walked to the door of her room, his heart breaking with every step.

"Daddy?" Emily whimpered in disbelief as she watched her father do what he was told by this mask wearing monster holding them at gun point with her daddy's gun.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I have to do this so you'll be safe." Tobias explained as he turned to look at his daughter one last time, his eyes begging her forgiveness. "I love you."

As her father closed her door and locked her in, Emily broke into hysterical sobs, throwing herself on the bed. _Would the monster in the ski mask hurt her Daddy? Would she ever see Daddy again? Or Mommy?_

With a vicious poke to the spinal cord between his shoulder blades, the pressure of his own gun muzzle pushed Tobias away from his little girl's room – the heart-wrenching sounds of her hysteria echoing in his ears. "Downstairs now! And if you don't tell me what I wanna know, she's as good as dead because I'll kill you first and there'll be no one around to stop me from having any kind of fun with her that I want."

******NCIS*******

"_You sure, Probie?" _Mike Franks asked over the phone line between Mexico and Washington D.C.

"Yeah, Mike. I'm sure. Send him home. Got word an hour ago. It's over."

_"Alright, you'll have him 'tomorrow night. I ain't ornery enough to shove him onto a 'Red-eye'"_

Gibbs chuckled. "Thanks, Mike."

"_No problem, Probie. Anytime."_

Folding his phone, he slipped it into his shirt pocket and headed back down to his desk. Seeing Tony throwing his horde of paper balls across the room to the one agent trying to get work done, he couldn't help but smirk. "You wanna be playin' now, DiNozzo, its fine by me as long as if you're working when McGee gets back tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Wait? Did they get him? He's in custody?" Tony exclaimed excitedly as he jumped to his feet.

"Yup." Fornell got him an hour ago."

"All **right!**I** knew **there was something to like about that guy**!"**

Barely holding back his full smile, Gibbs picked up his coffee cup. "Work now? Or then? Up to you, DiNozzo."

"Workin' now, Boss." Tony answered as he dove back into his work.

"Hey, DiNozzo!" Gibbs hollered at him.

"Boss?" The Senior Field Agent looked over at the Team Leader in utter confusion.

"Clean up your mess first, Bonehead!"

"Oh, right. Sorry, Boss." Tony scurried to pick up the two dozen white paper balls scattered around the silently smiling Ziva who – as a way of helping – merely lifted her feet up out of his way.

"Cute, ."

"McGee thinks I am." She retorted with a relaxed smile. "And I for one, will be happy to have him back with us again."


	8. Chapter 7

_A/N: Episode Tags- "Escaped" – & Deliverance – though in cannon, they aired __ 9/26/06 & __2/10/2009 - respectively  
For the sake of this story - both had already occurred three years before that._

* * *

"Home" Tim whispered to himself and smiled softly as he picked up his shoulder bag once more and hoisted it over his shoulder now that he had de-planed in D.C. and was ready to try to get his life back. It may only be four in the afternoon, but he was beat! It had been a nerve wracking seven days, not because it was tough hiding out in Mexico with Mike, it hadn't been. No, the tough part had been sitting on his hands, doing absolutely nothing to help anyone. It had driven him nearly insane!

Drawing in a deep breath, he slowly let it out as he reminded himself of everything Gibbs and Mike Franks had done to keep him safe this past week. There was no way to thank them, especially given that it was his own fault things had gotten so bad that he'd needed protection in the first place. Then there was his mom and Sarah. The very fact that he'd put their lives in danger made him sick with guilt, even as he headed outside, determined to face what he'd done in the form of whatever disciplinary action was waiting for him back on the Navy Yard,even if that meant saying goodbye to his life as an agent and starting fresh somewhere new. _God, he hoped it didn't come down to that_. Still nothing could take the guilt away as he remembered the guards at the prison who'd lost their lives because he'd set this in motion.

As he headed to the Taxi stand outside, he caught glimpse of his mother getting into a cab with Sarah – a handful of cars in front of him. _They must have just gotten here, too. Great! They could reunite and catch up in the cab! _Tim hurried to catch up, taking all of three steps when he noticed the man getting in the cab with them, his hand a vice on his mother's wrist – stopping Tim cold in a moment of shock. _Oh, God, was that…? No! There had to be a mistake! He's already in FBI custody! What the **hell'**s going on? Where was his phone? Oh, crap! In his bag, oh, jeez, hurry up Tim, catch him! Stop him!_

Before he'd gotten ten feet further, the cab with his sister and mother and that madman pulled away in a screech of tires; flying down the exit ramp of the airport; forcing Tim to nearly throw himself into the first cab he found, yelling out in desperation. "Follow that cab! Step on it! Federal Agent in pursuit of a wanted criminal! GO! GO! GO!"

As the cabbie pulled out and floored it, Tim was thrown off balance while he tried to dig his cell phone out of his carry- bag. Watching in disgust as the needed apparatus slipped and flew from his hand to the floor, it was all he could do not to swear a blue streak as the cab driver careened around the corner as if he were an experienced race car driver, his phone now tumbling forward, up under the front seat.

"Hey! Gotta cell phone?" Tim hollered at the man even while holding on for the ride.

"No speak En-ge-lish!"

"Great! Just great!" Tim muttered. "Just follow that cab!"

**_***NCIS***_**

The hair-raising ride from the airport comes to a halt, at his barked command, outside the first gas station they see. Before he can even process that his feet are moving, the man, still darkly dressed, his coveted reward and the bonus that comes with her, have vacated the cab and entered the store. He smiles patronizingly at the store clerk while he firmly yet calmly guides the woman and young lady through the aisle to the back of the store, doing nothing to draw suspicion to them. as His weapon is tucked safely away out of sight. He knows the store clerk cannot tell that anything is wrong because he's taken great care to present himself as simply shopping for what he needs. He's anxious, needing a quiet place to do what he's waited thirty years to do. But does he really want to do it here? It isn't private enough and there are too many chances of being caught. _Focus! No, that wasn't what he came in here for. He came in to let them get something to eat. Yeah, that was it._ He doesn't want them getting hungry or thirsty any time soon since it's gonna be a very long pleasurable night for all three of them, at least to his way of thinking.

There's no need to worry about them running or even trying to speak, they won't tell a soul who he is, or that he's got a gun under that jacket, his hand already itching to pull the trigger. When he had accosted them back at the airport, he'd made no bones about what they were expected to do if they wanted each other to stay alive and unhurt; simple really; just do exactly as he said and absolutely nothing more.

He knows they believed his threat to kill the other one if either of them even so much as attempted to escape, seek out help or even call attention to them. He's pleased that so far, they're cooperating quite nicely with his plan and his rules. Just, please nobody force him to kill his woman before he's had his way with her! The anticipation has kept him going since that kid of hers, theirs, came to see him, bringing him such a sweet reminder of the good times he had with this beautiful woman.

Her name has never mattered to him and it still doesn't hold his interest, not even for a moment. He knows her as 'his prize' and is confident she is sufficiently terrified for her daughter's safety. With his warnings to her, he is certain she understands the only way that "safety" will continue is through their cooperation.

Besides, surely she knows there's so much more fun with three? Does she really think he's not gonna have fun with the young lady, too? She's too smart for that! She's kept her mouth shut all the way from the airport and even kept her daughter from speaking out too. Maybe there is hope for her. Maybe she _is _smarter than she looks.

Checking out of the store with just a twelve pack of colas and a box of crackers, he suddenly can't wait to get the hell outta here. The cabbie's been waitin' but wisely hasn't once honked; it's as if he knows he's dealing with someone who won't hesitate to kill him if he does anything to piss him off. As soon as he pushes the females into the car, he barks at the cabbie, "Go!"

Looking back through the rear window of the cab, he swears at the sight of that same scrawny kid that came to see him in the prison, claiming to be his, stepping out of a cab almost before it even stops in front of the store and staring straight at him! Smiling evilly, he sits back and relaxes. A gripping hand on each of the women he now has all the time in the world to play with as the thought of having one more join in the fun actually appeals to him. _Yeah. Why not? Family discount, right? _"Driver! Pull over!"

He knows the cabbie has a family because of the picture taped to the console of the cab. As is the case with many immigrant cab drivers, family is everything and nothing is more sacred. It is why the man has not said a word, though part of that reason might also be because no weapon has been revealed and no complaint spoken.

He glares at each woman in turn to remind them that one false move from either of them will get the other one killed, and then he gets out of the cab. He immediately turns his attention to the storefront they've just driven away from and the man stupid enough to think he could catch up with him, as the sound of gunfire fills the air.

**_*****NCIS*******_**

Anticipation makes for a difficult taskmaster as the workday has drawn slowly on, one agonizingly irritatingly slow minute after another. With only cold cases for company at their own desks, amidst the silence that has settled down around them, Tony and Ziva glance briefly at each other periodically as if the somehow convey their frustration to each other, despite not having any way to counteract the boredom and their restless need to see their teammate again.

Even breaking for lunch doesn't seem to help, though they do make the effort to include Abby, Ducky and Palmer in the endeavor to keep their minds off Tim until his safe return. With a smirk that proves the boss is well aware of their restlessness, the Team Leader keeps his silence as they continue to work until the hours wear on, not having anything to say in the face of their extreme efforts to abide by his wishes and not discuss Tim's situation unless something seriously wrong developed.

**_*****NCIS*******_**

Darkness threatens to swallow him whole, the ominous emptiness beckons from just beyond his reach as pain so excruciating radiates from every inch of his body, every bounce of his head against the ground bringing yet even more agony, his arms already on fire as they're dragged nearly uselessly over his head. It's all he can do to remember that he can't give in to that blessed relief hovering nearby his consciousness, because he has a job to do. _What was it again? Oh, right, he had to finish writing those numbers. Ow! Where had he stopped off? Crap! What was the next one? Oh, God, make it stop! Number, right – 7! Oh, God, please let me get them all done before I pass out! How far is this guy gonna drag me? Think! OW! 3! Oh, God, make it stop! 2! – I think my head's gonna explode – 0! There! I did it – God! That rock hurt! I think I'm running out of blood! Can't believe my luck – if I hadn't gotten cut by that jagged rock so deep, I couldn't have done this – ow! God, why can't I just pass out? Wait! I'm forgetting something – what am I forgetting? That's it! G! oh, God, just let me die now, I've done all I could to save them and lead the others to this maniac. Just let me die." He silently cried out as the darkness swooped in and swallowed him whole._

"Damn you're heavy, boy! Why'd you have to go and screw this up for me?" Huffing out every word as if it took all of his energy, the stocky bald headed man could not stop talking as he dragged his victim by the feet through the nearly deserted area.

"All I wanted was a couple bucks outta the register! Nobody was gonna care if I didn't hurt 'em! But you just had to go and stick your nose in the middle of what wasn't even your business! It's your own fault I had to shoot you, you know. It was the only way to stop you from acting like a cop or turning me over to one. I'm still trying to figure out how it was you were planning on stopping me without a gun. Why did you act like you had a gun?"

Shaking his head now in residual disbelief, the determined man readjusted his grip on the feet he held securely, unwilling to drop them until he'd reached his destination. Still, the words poured from his mouth as if making up for months of silence brought on by the secluded life he'd lived for the past six years, starving on the streets of the outskirts of D.C.

Now I have to get rid of you! That wasn't part of my plan! Did you know that? Of course not, that's why you're dead. That's why I had to kill you. Good for nothin' busybody, really thought you could arrest me? Little do you know, as soon as I'm done getting' rid of you, I will get away scot free! Nobody will ever find me because nobody's ever lookin' for me! And that's why they'll never find your body!"

******NCIS******

"What time are you expecting them, Jen?' Gibbs asked the Director as she descended the stairs at five-thirty in the afternoon, bringing sighs of relief from Tony and Ziva who finally are able to stop forcing themselves to plow through cold case files for new leads.

"They should be here at six, Jethro. All of them caught their flights just fine. They should have been able to get their luggage picked up and to the car by 4:15."

'Wait, you let them arrive at the airport at the same time?" Tony questioned.

"No. Agent DiNozzo. As a matter of fact, I did no such thing. Agent McGee's plane should have landed by 4:05 and there's a good chance they saw each other before they even made it out to the car."

"Oh. That's good. I mean…"

"Spit it out, DiNozzo." Gibbs ordered impatiently.

"I just got this feelin', Boss." Tony offered. "Something just doesn't feel right."

"Are you sure, it is not that horrible lunch you ate earlier, Tony?" Ziva asked teasingly, not yet zeroed in to his concern.

"No, this is serious!" Tony insisted earnestly.

"DiNozzo, I checked on Fornell last night. He wasn't even home. House was darker than midnight. Still slaving away at the Hoover building, closing this case extra tight."

Turning to the Director, the Team Leader offered his strong opinion on the matter. "Tony's right. We need to find out why he hasn't checked in yet."

Before anything more could be said, Gibbs' desk phone rang.

"Yeah, Gibbs…we're on it." Setting his receiver down on its cradle, Gibbs gave out the order. "Gear Up."

"Jethro, your team is not…"

"Jen. This one's got our name written all over it. fresh, 't have happened even two hours ago."

"So what do we have this time, Boss?" Tony asked more calmly.

"Fresh trail of blood with our name on it."

"What? You're kidding!"

"That something I'd joke about, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked seriously.

"No, Boss. Course not."

"The trail actually has our letters on it?" Ziva asked in confusion.

"Yup. In blood." Gibbs answered as the elevator door opened up and they poured out of it, walking through the parking garage to the Agency Vehicle Fleet lot.

"Wow, I think I'm relieved McSensitve stomach's not here. He'd probably hurl as soon as we got there. Ow, thank you, Boss. Shutting up now." Tony said flippantly.

"Tony, I do not believe any of us should be happy that McGee is currently out because of all that he and his family have gone through." Ziva reproached her partner.

"Yeah, I know. I didn't mean that the way it sounded." Tony apologized.

"Sure hope not, DiNozzo." Gibbs warned as he got behind the wheel, turned the car on and took off, unmindful of the fact that Tony had yet to close his car door or buckle up.


	9. Chapter 8

_A/N: Deliverance – though in cannon, aired 2/10/2009 - For the sake of this story - those events already occurred three years before that._

_Short Chapter - by design - needed to stand alone.  
_

* * *

"Gibbs!" Ziva called her team leader from across the now cordoned off area as she discovered something worth reporting to him. "The letters start here." She pointed to the 'G' drawn raggedly in the dirt, in what could only be blood.

"Caller said NCIS was written in the dirt." Gibbs told her. "Didn't say anything about a G."

"I will keep looking." She promised as she turned and headed off in the direction of the freshly disturbed earth, her head down as she watched the ground as she walked. "Here is a '0'." She called out and kept walking. Fifty feet further on, she called out again. "'I have a '2'!"

"Just write 'em all down, Ziva. Let me know when you've got 'em all." Gibbs told her with aggravation. Turning to his other available agent, he asked. "Whattaya got, DiNozzo?"

"Boss, the trail just stops. It's like whatever was being dragged – presumably our victim – was suddenly picked up from right here and vanished!" Tony pointed to just ten feet from the marked spot for the 'G'. "There's no tire track of any kind and no more drag marks."

"Alright. Shoot and sketch; go 50 feet out on both sides, all the way up to where Ziva finds the last thing that was written in the dirt." Gibbs ordered.

"Where, Boss?" Tony asked seriously.

"Well, gee, DiNozzo, I don't know. I'll know when she finds it." Gibbs remarked with a touch of sarcasm.

"Right. Okay, shooting and sketching, Boss." The younger man said as he turned to his assigned task, leaving the boss to a moment of having to stop and think things through for a minute. He was only given a brief moment of silence before his cell phone ringing shattered the quiet. "Yeah, Gibbs."

"_Gibbs, I have not located the NCIS written in the dirt. I have, however, located the last written number – a good one hundred feet due north of your present location. It is a one. All total there were eight numbers." _Ziva reported in.

"Read 'em off to me. Start with the G. Work up." Gibbs instructed her while he quickly dug out his notepad and pencil, all the while his gut twinged almost painfully.

"_G- __0-2-3-7-5-6-7-1_." Ziva read off her notebook. "_They appear to be random numbers, spread out with at least ten feet between each number. Someone is playing games with us_." She offered in anger.

"No. It's no game. Still missing the Agency letters. Should be another number before that, somewhere." He told her, following his gut which was screaming at him that he knew exactly what was going on. "Extend your search further up the trail."

As his thoughts swirled around the possibility of what they were looking at, Gibbs watched his Senior Field Agent work and cast his thoughts to his youngest field agent: _Will my people ever catch a break? Who the hell would know to do this? Whoever it was pretty damned determined to get it done._

Again, his phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. "What'd you find?" he asked his agent before she could speak.

"_I found the last number and our Agency's letters – at least fifty feet further out than the rest of the trail_. _I also found what appears to be tire tracks_."

"What's the number, Ziva?" Gibbs asked impatiently.

"_8_"

With a deep sigh, Gibbs forced himself to keep his team going as if this were a normal case; just barely, as his heart was nearly up in his throat now while he issued the orders. "Alright. Bag and tag – then help Tony shoot and sketch. Let's get this done and don't miss anything. And get me plenty of that blood for Abby to test. It might belong to more than one person."

"_Yes, Gibbs. I hope it does, as much of it as there is."_

"Find me where that blood originated from – check the rocks."

*****NCIS*****

Three hours later and the team was finally done investigating their crime scene – having taken all the pictures, sketched every necessary piece and bagged and tagged every piece of evidence. The ride back to the agency was completely silent, each of them lost in their thoughts. It was eerily strange to be at a crime scene with Tim being absent for the reason he was. It cast an uneasy pall over them and it felt terrible.

Once they'd deposited all the evidence with the strangely quiet Abby, the three agents returned to the squad room to begin to piece together what they could from their photos and sketches of the crime scene.

"Ziva, get me that 911 call that called us to the scene."

"Yes, Gibbs. Whatever happened out there happened fast, so of course there were no witnesses. We can be thankful it was not raining or we would have no evidence at all from which to work for clues, yes?" She offered as she picked up her desk phone receiver to make the call.

"Jethro." Jenny's troubled voice, came at him from just beyond Tony's Desk.

"What's wrong?" Gibbs asked as he got up to join her.

"None of the McGees were there when their driver arrived to pick them up."

"And you're _just_ now telling me this?" Gibbs asked her angrily.

"Jethro, you were out in the field and I'm not sure it's anything to worry about. The flight manifests show they didn't miss their flight. Maybe they just took some time to do a little window shopping in the airport before meeting up with our driver**."**

Frowning in displeasure, he made sure he reminded her of what she should be doing about his missing Agent and family, his voice still filled with anger. "Jen, find them!"

As she heard the conversation, Ziva felt her heart nearly stop. Looking around the squad room, her heart caught in her throat once more at the sight of Tim's empty desk. She hated it that he was currently trying make his way home after having to go into hiding, and possibly not have made it. Turning her eyes to the other two members of her team, it wasn't hard to see the toll this was continuing to take on them as well.

It had always been important, crucial in fact, that this team be able to trust in the knowledge that they would always be there to protect each other. The fact that this time they hadn't been able to keep their youngest member from having to go through something like this continued to affect them deeply. And her gut was telling her that it was about to get worse.

Tony hadn't lost the bereft look that had been on his face ever since that informative conversation with Ziva, when the Senior Field Agent had figured out for himself just how serious Tim's situation was. Gibbs, on the other hand, had consistently looked like he was ready to spit nails at someone. Luckily for those who knew him, it wasn't a very big stretch of the imagination to realize who it was he was pissed at. He'd worn that look ever since that phone call from Tim up in the Director's office when the poor kid had sounded so lost. But at this very moment, the Team Leader actually looked worried as much as he looked angry.

Finally, Ziva couldn't stand the silence any longer and she did what she had to do to get them refocused onto the current case, as they all were trained to do. "Gibbs, I do not understand the reason for the numbers. You know something about them, yes?"

"Put it up." Gibbs ordered, pointing to the plasma TV.

Ziva picked up the remote and brought up the information as ordered. The string of numbers sat there like a puzzle demanding to be answered. _G- __0-2-3-7-5-6-7-1 -8_.

For a minute, Gibbs looked at what was up there. Even though he'd already figured it out, it hit him like a punch to the gut to see it up on the big screen like this. Carefully taking a measured breath and letting it back out, he carried on after studying it, letting his eyes fall back down to the work on his desk. "It's backwards. Turn 'em around." He told her.

Tony's eyes snapped over to the big screen at the boss' familiarity with what they were looking at. As soon as he saw it with his own eyes, he was hit with a wave of surprise mixed with recognition before sending his eyes back to his desk and immediately tapping away on his keyboard, already on a mission of sorts.

"Tony, get me a current sit rep on…."

"Marine Private First Class Tomas Tamayo" Tony supplied for the older man without hesitation. "Already on it, Boss." The Senior Field Agent was already typing for all he was worth as he worked to find the information they needed.

"Why would you…" Ziva began asking, only to be interrupted by Gibbs' cell phone ringing.

"Yeah, Gibbs." The boss answered his phone.

"_I need you down here, now!"_ Abby said with enough seriousness that there was no doubt she had something to tell him that she didn't like.

"Be right there, Abbs." He answered as he snapped his phone shut and looked expectantly at his Senior Field Agent.

"Private First Class Tomas Tamayo is currently serving in Afghanistan, been there since shortly after we last saw him, Boss. He's been doing good, too, had a note from his C.O in his record for his 'outstanding leadership abilities '." Tony observed with a touch of respect.

"After we hear what Abby has, you get on the horn with his C.O. and verify his whereabouts for the past two weeks. " Gibbs instructed. "Talk to Tamayo. Find out if he told anyone else to use tha…"

"That call for help." Tony interrupted him they all now headed toward the back elevator. "Will do, Boss."

******NCIS******

"Whattaya got for us, Abbs?" Gibbs asked calmly as the team entered her lab a short two minutes later.

"Where's McGee?" she demanded from him, her eyes boring holes right though him.

Something in her tone stopped his thoughts for a minute. She almost sounded as if she already knew the answer and that only served to twist his gut more. Going on hope, he answered her firmly with what truth he had, not yet willing to admit anything different yet. "On his way here."

"_No_, he's not." Abby declared, her voice wobbling just before it broke, tears filling her eyes. Turning back to her computer keyboard, she tapped a few keys and her monitor now showed a split screen; one side displaying the 'match found' screen they usually saw when she'd been successful in finding a match on a sample and the other half of her screen displaying what was obviously a blood test.

"Abby, whattaya mean he's not? What's McGee's whereabouts got to do with the blood from our fresh crimesc …" Gibbs broke off his question as the last piece of the puzzle slid into place in his mind. _NCIS and my service number drawn in blood with the G, the fairly recent time period that this happened in and McGee didn't meet up with the Agency car waiting for him at the airport. _

It all added up to one horrible truth – which Abby tearfully provided proof of with the next click of her mouse – bringing up the owner of the blood sample taken from their fresh crime scene.

_Tim McGee_


	10. Chapter 9

_A/N: My humblest apologies for the long delay in updating. It took a while to get it to feel right._

A thousand "**Thank You's** go to **Gottahavemyncis** and **Shelbylou** - couldn't do this without you!

_Thank you to all the readers and reviewers, too!_

**WARNING**: _Bumpy road ahead - Brace yourselves_!

* * *

…_the next click of her mouse, bringing up the owner of the blood sample taken from their fresh crime scene_ - _Tim McGee_

It's so sudden and the shock that holds them in place like a rubber band stretched to its limits, finally snaps. It's the strength of the band's snapping that jerks them out of stasis and make them all start moving towards the door with Abby's question reverberating through the air stopping them in their tracks. "**Where** is he, Gibbs? Why wasn't he kept safe until we got him back here? You **need** to find hi…"

"You think I don't know that!" Gibbs reacts angrily as he stops in his tracks and turns to respond to her from the doorway. "What is it you think we're tryin' to do here, Abbs?"

Abby blanches at Gibbs' tone and leans heavily into her work table, as if letting it hold her up. "I know…I…"

"Damn it!" Gibbs sighs heavily. "Look, we don't have time for this. You need to pull it together and run the damn evidence, Abby!"

At his clipped tone, Abby nods and turns to pull up the information so that she can start trying to find Tim. She feels tears of fear, frustration, pain, and, in a way, loss that prickle at her eyes and she sniffles to try to keep them at bay until everyone has gone.

Gibbs stands and watches Abby as she uses her computer table to hold herself up while she starts to pull up information on the screen. The dejected body language and sniffles emanating from her don't go unnoticed. He feels the anger drain away slowly as realization hits him that his Forensic Scientist not only misses the young man who loves her dearly, but that she's just as worried about Tim as he is; as they all are.

The sense of urgency runs through him again. He knows he has little time to get her back on track so she can run the evidence without letting her emotions get the better of her. The Team Leader moves from the door and walks up to his Forensic Scientist so he can offer her what he is able to give her in terms of reassurance. One of his arms wraps around her shoulder just long enough for her to feel the comfort she needs, even as he takes advantage of the moment to remind her of what it was she seems to have forgotten. "We all want him back, all of them back. But time is against us. We need your best game face on here. McGee's counting on you."

Abby sniffles and momentarily allows herself to melt into the comforting embrace.

"We will find him, Abbs. We will. But not without all the information you can give us from that evidence."

Abby straightens up and takes a deep cleansing breath. Gibbs can see the moment her mask slips back in place. "You're right, Gibbs. We **will **find him!"

With one last fleeting kiss to her temple, he turns and turns back to the evidence table to rejoin the team. "There a reason you're standing around doing nothing?" He snaps, pulling the team out of the conversation they've been having.

"We've been discussing the case, Gibbs." Ziva scowls, "I know you want to find Tim as do we, but right now we should be focusing on where he could be, and we are not going figure that out by letting anger cloud our judgment."

Gibbs narrows his eyes and is about to retort when Tony cuts in angrily.

"So _who_ has McGee and _why,_ if that psycho Martin's in FBI custody?"

"He's not." Tobias Fornell's somber, guilt-ridden voice comes from the doorway behind them.

******NCIS******

_Fear._ That all-consuming, tremor-inducing emotion that paralyses you and leaves you so helpless all you can do is silently scream in your head. The anger is overwhelming, especially when that fear isn't for yourself but for the life of your child. That's what grips Megan McGee's heart so tightly it feels like she's suffocating as she watches the man who raped her and damn near killed her over thirty years ago, leaving her to die in an alley, broken, violated, battered and alone in the middle of nowhere, steps towards her and her child. _Sarah!_

With every breath she has to give, Megan is determined that this monster is NOT going to get his evil hands on her little girl. It's bad enough her precious little boy, now a man, has been gunned down in front of her as he tried valiantly to catch up to them to save them back at the gas station. Even now, her heart cries for him. _Tim! _

Now she and Sarah are at this monster's mercy, trapped in some god-forsaken backwoods log cabin with no one else to hear them or help and with nothing to lose but their lives. It fills her heart with dread. Their last hope of help had been the cab driver, but he had proved himself to be a survivalist first, hero, not at all. He'd been too frightened out of his wits to do anything but stare straight ahead as he drove, doing exactly what Martin ordered him to do, no questions asked. Not even for a split second had the man tried to look anywhere else, an unwilling bystander uncaring of whatever horrors she and her daughter were being subjected to.

With her eyes locked on the fugitive murdering rapist, Megan draws her shell-shocked and shaking daughter into her arms now, whispering to her to stay quiet, calm and above all else, if she has the chance, without risk of getting shot, to slip away and run to safety. All the while, she forces herself to hold on tight to the façade of calm that has held the strong mother of two together ever since Martin appeared behind her at the airport taxi-stand, a gun thrust against her spine, ordering both of them to silence with the threat of tragic consequences if his orders weren't obeyed to the letter_._

Seeing her normally incautious daughter reduced to this state in which she can't function for fear that every moment, every movement will get her mother killed, churns Megan's anger to the boiling point. It's enough to break through the fear, but not enough to cause her to think or act impulsively. The fact that this stare down has been continuous for the last hour seems to help the anger rise up through the fear. Gently, she lets go of Sarah and steps out around her, completely blocking her innocent daughter from Martin's reach, at least for the moment

"How long you gonna pretend to fight the idea, doll?" Martin asks arrogantly as he speaks for the first time in over thirty long silent minutes. "I've already told you the sharp image of our passion filled roll in the hay all those years ago stayed with me so well that I had to go to any lengths to be with you again. I even told you everything I did to find you as soon as I broke out of prison! That seem to you like I'd have reason to willingly walk away without getting what I came for?"

Megan refuses to give in to his taunting, no matter how normal his tone seems. That's what he wants from her, her fearful begging for her life, for her daughter's life. What's more, she doesn't want Sarah to get the idea that begging this monster will get them anywhere. She's never forgotten what little effect that had on him while he was raping her all those years ago and she's not about to even give him an ounce of the satisfaction he cackled with then. Martin's mind is set; had been as soon as he'd set eyes on their son back in December. She knows that now just as she knows it's fruitless to fight him or even try to talk him down. She will not waste her energy or her focus on false expectations like that. Their survival depends on her being smarter than he is giving her credit for – and on relying on instincts.

******NCIS******

"What?"

**"You lost him again?"**

**"What do you mean you don't have him?" Abby cries out as she points to her computer screen. "He did this, didn't he? He has Timmy!"**

"**HEY!"** Gibbs yells out, backing his team down at least long enough to get a word in edgewise.

"Your office?" Fornell asks, clearly expecting them to talk about his bombshell in private. Having four pairs of eyes throwing daggers at you is difficult enough without having to tell them the whys and wherefores of what had happened to their teammate.

"No time." Gibbs answers as he digs out his phone. "We _all_ deserve answers. Abbs! Get back to the evidence," he snaps as he flips open his phone and hits the speed dial.

******NCIS******

Awareness returns suddenly, bringing with it a hellacious headache and too many other shards of agony slicing though him to encourage any movement. It isn't long before the cold permeates his clothes or what's left of them, bringing back the shivering, keeping the vicious cycle running. He deliberately takes small, even breaths, as anything else brings agony to his chest cavity, leaving him without adequate air to breathe.

_What the hell happened and where the hell is he?_ He can't remember being this cold in a very long time and nowhere in his memory banks is there an incident of having anywhere near this much pain. Having spent too much time making that assessment, his mind finally seems to wander to things more important. _He's alive. Now how does he go about staying that way?_

******NCIS******

"Jethro, this had _better_ be _damned_ important since I just had to reschedule a meeting with the SecNav." Jenny warns angrily as she storms into Abby's lab barely two minutes later, the recollection of busily gathering the information she needed for the meeting and the interruption in the form of the terse, cryptic message from Gibbs, as well as the meeting she was compelled to cancel at the last minute wasn't any more pleasant than the stern berating it had earned her from her boss. "_Need you in Abby's Lab – now!_ Doesn't really give me much information as to why I have to rearrange my schedule!"

"Well yeah, Jen. I think my missing man is pretty damn important; especially seeing as we have a probable suspect." Gibbs snaps out with a nod of his head towards the refrigerator. Jenny follows his direction and sees Tobias Fornell standing there looking damn near devastated.

"Agent Fornell? I'm guessing this isn't a social call." She remarks dryly, her eyes roaming from the FBI Agent to the angry and now silent Team Leader, his eyes locked on Fornell.

She briefly glances at Tony and Ziva and notes that their expressions hold the same anger and despair as Gibbs. Fornell shifts uncomfortably in the silence as he weighs how to break the news; his attention briefly torn away from Jenny's when Abby turns around and carries on processing the evidence she had already gotten started on. "Judging by the tone of Gibbs' voice and the look on his face, I'd say you have something to tell me regarding our missing Agent?"

When the silence continues on for a shade too long, Jenny frowns. No one is offering answers and Gibbs' posture is getting more and more rigid with every passing second. "What's this about?"

**"**_That _is **a very good question**." Ducky intones as he enters slightly out of breath after being summoned by Gibbs and rushing to the lab.

"THIS! Is. About. My. Missing. Agent! Damn it! We were working with information provided by the FBI – and yet _somehow _Fornell, fails to mention until now, that they ha…"

"Gibbs…" Fornell tries but gets cut off when the man sends him a glare that would instill the fear of death in anyone else.

"What? You forgot? You're sorry?" Gibbs turns and glares at Jenny. "You find them yet?" he demands harshly.

Shaking her head, Jenny gives the information she knows he doesn't want to hear. "I know how you feel about apologies, but I _am_ sorry, Jethro. We haven't located them yet."

"So we got nothing! We don't even have that bastard Martin to give us what we need!" Gibbs voice is getting louder and louder and booms around the lab causing Abby to partially turn where she stands. "So while we're all standing here doing nothing, McGee AND his mother and sister, are all probably being tortured if they're **NOT ALREADY DEAD!** DiNozzo! Ziva…" The Goth puts her hand on Gibbs' arm to stop him, earning her a glare.

"Please, Fornell, tell us what you have to tell us!" Abby implores, desperate for details in hopes it will tell her that her Timmy is alive and well, despite what the evidence has been pointing towards.

When Tobias can't seem to find the words, Gibbs quickly becomes nearly incoherent with rage and impatience, his strident voice bouncing off the walls of Abby's lab. He has no time for this kind of stuff with his agent and family missing. He is already pissed beyond reason that they've wasted an hour down here and he's itching to get back to the squad room to do what they can to find their friend and his family; hopefully alive. "You said Martin **wasn**'**t **in your custody, Fornell, what the hell happened?

The guilty FBI Agent sighs knowing that the next bit of information isn't going to go down well with any of them. "We never had him, Jethro. I'm sorry. We've got a BOLO out on him now and at this moment he's at the top of our Most Wanted List."

"You lied to a federal agency about that murderer being in your custody and all you can say is you're sorry?" Jenny explodes at him. "My agent and his family's lives are in danger!"

Gibbs rounds on Tobias as Jenny expresses her fury at the news. "Tobias, you better have a damn good explanation!"

"Oh dear, heavens!" Ducky exclaims sadly as he begins to understand the ramifications of what he's heard. With a glance towards Abby, he frowns at the wall of stoicism she's quickly erected around herself. Silently, he moves to stand beside her in silent support.

"Gibbs, I…" Fornell shakes his head and sighs heavily. "I'm sorry."

"SORRY? Not good enough!" Gibbs turns to his team. "We don't have time for this. Got an agent and his family to find!" Pointing to his agents, he plowed on. "You two! Get back to your desks and find out every step this bastard took after he killed the van driver…and I mean **every** step. And while you're at it, find out everything there is to know about Martin! Abby, you keep running the evidence. I want anything you have on this guy, yesterday!" Gibbs bites out and with white hot fury coursing through his veins he turns to Fornell. "Spit it out, Fornell. What are you _not_ telling us?"

When silence remains, his friend's reluctance to speak and completely stricken expression stops the Team Leader nearly cold as he takes time to look deep into the other man's eyes. Tobias Fornell is as honest as his job allows him to be, as is Gibbs himself. They all knew that about him. Something has to have driven him to lie for the murdering bastard. As an experienced Federal Agent, Gibbs knows that there is only thing that means enough to an honest man to make him compromise his morals and put innocent lives in danger like this. _Family._

"He got hold of Emily." Gibbs surmises quietly, his compassion evident in his voice.

Tobias looks Gibbs straight on for the first time since Jenny has walked in. "Held a GUN to her head. **MY **gun! Cocky bastard forced me to get my weapon from the safe; traded his for mine and kept his finger on the trigger, not even an inch from her head. Trust me, Jethro. That's not a something I ever want to see again."

"Start at the beginning, Tobias. Don't leave anything out." The directive is issued in a much calmer tone from the one person in the room who can understand the position the FBI agent had to have been in to have made the choice he did.

******NCIS******

Megan McGee knows she needs something to stall Martin, something plausible. _Food. Bastard's gotta be as hungry as we are; probably more. _As he reaches and nearly invades her personal space, his hot stinky breath nauseating her, she questions him for the first time since he'd taken them hostage.

"What's for dinner?"

Stopped cold by the completely unexpected question, Martin frowns. He knows she's stalling but she does have a point. He's so hungry, his stomach is growling. Pleased that she's obviously accepted their fate, he allows himself to focus on his basic survival needs, including food.

"Cabin's stocked. Find something. Cook it right – no funny business."

"My daughter needs to help me." Megan reaches out desperately for a way to keep Sarah safely out of reach of the monster.

"No. She doesn't. But, don't worry, Mama. Your little chickadee's safe from me – for now. I'm gonna keep both of you company right where I am since I can see both rooms just fine from here. Go cook us some grub."

The sneer that accompanies that statement sends a shiver of unease up Megan's spine. Just recollecting now, what this monster did to her all those years ago and can potentially do to her again and worse, her daughter, makes her feel sick to her stomach. She knows she has no choice but to do Martin's bidding to try to keep them safe. With a final glance and a **small,** weak, smile to her daughter, she stands up and starts to make her way into the tiny, open kitchen. It's all she can do to leave the room without her child because leaving her baby in the hands of…of…_that _is unthinkable. _At least I'm not far_ she thinks, but even that doesn't ease the pang of guilt and worry that she feels. It nearly breaks her resolve to stand strong as Sarah's example. _God, she hopes they'll be rescued soon – somehow. If ever she needed a miracle, it's now!_

******NCIS******

"Put yourself in my shoes, Jethro! What would **you** have done if it had been Kelly's head that bastard held a gun to? You don't think _you _would have given him _exactly_ what he wanted?" Tobias demands desperately as soon as he finishes relaying everything to the crowd gathered in the lab. Tony and Ziva had started to make their way up to the squad room but stopped when the Director belayed Gibbs' last order so that they can have all the information. The FBI agent is obviously expecting a serious backlash and trying to cut it off at the pass. "There isn't a person in this room who can understand the position I was in better than you! I didn't have a choice!"

"Is Emily all right?" Ziva asks coolly. Even though her voice is calm, she is still angry at the fact that the case they'd been building had been marred by this lie and angrier still that her friend's life and those of his family members have been placed in very grave danger as a direct result of it.

"Shaken and pretty damn traumatized, but she's safe now. "

"Where is the poor child?" Ducky asks.

"Upstairs in one of your conference rooms with an entourage of body guards**."**

"Where's Diane, Tobias?" Gibbs asks quietly, wanting to lower the man's agitation down to a manageable level and get back to their primary task, finding Tim and his family.

"Out of town. Isn't that the kicker? Says she'll be here to pick Emily up within the hour and when she does, I'm never gonna see her again." Tobias moves to one of the chairs in the lab and sits down heavily. "I'm never going to see my little girl after this, Gibbs. You know what Diane's like."

"So she blames you." Ziva surmises.

"Mothers tend to do that." Tobias replies dryly with a touch of bitterness.

"What haven't you told her?" Gibbs asks knowingly.

"That _she's _the one that Martin followed around for the past week! That's why we couldn't find him. He was hiding in plain sight, stalking Diane to get to me."

"Through your weekend visitation with Emily." Ziva states. "Gibbs…"

"Damn plan of his worked like a charm because that woman's so self-absorbed, she never even noticed she and Emily were being stalked!" Fornell fumes with a quiet fury. "And now he's out there hurting someone else. Gibbs, I'll give you what we have to work with. It's not much but it might help."

"Tobias, you should have come to me." Gibbs growls angrily. "I get where you were at, but your silence might just have cost McGee and his family their lives."

"I know." Tobias says sadly. "I know. All I can do now is help find them."

"How'd Martin know about your visitation arrangements?" Tony asks, finally getting over his shock enough to voice a question, his focus concentrated on finding their missing people before it's too late. He knows that his shock has to be reined in now because, while this information is important, they still don't have anything to go by.

"That's what we need to find out." The FBI Agent replies.

"Later." Gibbs orders. "First, we find Martin. We find him; he'll lead us to McGee and his family."

"Wait! **All** of them are missing?" Fornell asks in horrified shock.

"Well, _yeah_, Tobias! Who the hell do you think he was after to begin with?" Gibbs asks angrily. "Haven't you been listenin'? That SOB has all three of them and I don't plan on wasting any more time here." He starts to storm out of the lab once again but Jenny blocked his path. "Jen…"

"Jethro, as much as I know how important it is you go back to your desk, we still need the information from the FBI."

"WHAT INFORMATION?" Gibbs bellows. "Every minute we waste down here is another minute they are in the hands of that psycho doing who knows what, especially to McGee's mother! Or have you forgotten what kind of monster he is?"

"Oh, Jesus. I am sorry." Tobias' head drops in regret for the pain and fear the McGee family is likely now experiencing because of him. He genuinely likes Tim and knows this must be very difficult for the entire team. He also knows, has known since that gun had been pointed at Emily, that he'd had no choice in the matter. He'll have to live with the choice he'd been forced to make.

"We need to find them; we don't have time for anything else." Gibbs spits out the words, his gut twisting in rage against everything and all the screw-ups, from Fornell to Shepard, but unwilling to focus on anything but finding the McGees, all of them! Turning now to his team, he issues the orders to get them moving. "Orders still stand. DiNozzo, BOLO's! Then trace his steps! Ziva, get everything you can on Martin. Financials, phone records…EVERYTHING!" He waits for them to nod and leave the room before turning to Abby "You id that blood yet?"

"What? Gibbs! No, I can't. I mean Major Mass Spec isn't finished with it yet. The only reason we got a hit on Timmy's blood so fast is because he's already in the NCIS Database!"

As if the fates were listening, the FBI Agent's cell phone rings at that moment. Impatiently, the man snags it out of his pocket, snaps it open and practically growling into "Yeah!"

"_Agent Fornell?_

"Who is this?"

"_Sergeant Wilson, Metro PD. Got a possible hit on your BOLO."_

"Which BOLO?" Fornell demands snappishly as he turns and heads out of the room with Gibbs leading the way to the elevator where Tony and Ziva are still waiting for the machine.

"_That escaped murderer, Martin? We've got a positive ID on him."_

"Where?"

"_911 call reported shots fired at a local gas station just off the Beltway and your guy fits the description given by the only eyewitness."_

"How long ago?" Fornell demands as he glances at Gibbs; they both step into the elevator as it opens, with Jenny and the others following behind.

"_Been a while."_

"How long's a while?" He bites out; fast losing patience with this hick LEO who seems intent on making this conversation difficult. With everyone in the elevator, the doors close behind them as they all listen to Fornell's side of the conversation.

"'_Bout four and a half hours?_

_"_Four and a half hours! You didn't think it important to let us know earlier?" Fornell yells into the small space, his eyes locked on Gibbs.

_"__Sir, we only got to talk to the clerk that was shot when he woke up from surgery, not thirty minutes ago. He was in surgery for several hours._"

"Send the address to my cell." Fornell snaps and hung up. Just as he did, the message with the address came through.

"Damn it, Tobias!" Gibbs barks.

"LEO's responded to a 911 call at a local gas station off the beltway. I have the address. The clerk ID'd Martin and Metro linked him to the Bolo. Only problem is…"

"It happened four hours ago." Jenny supplies. Fornell nods sadly and Gibbs jabs his finger angrily on the button for the squad room. When the doors of the elevator open up, they spill out, more than ready to gear up and get out there and find their probie and his family.

******NCIS******

"My, my, my." Martin sneers as he continues to let his eyes move repeatedly back and forth from the mother to the docile daughter, as if he doesn't trust them to continue to obey his orders the minute he looks away. "Who would have thought such a strong woman like you would whelp a wimpy mama's girl? She can't take her eyes off you."

Megan refuses to answer him, her eyes constantly darting from the hamburgers she's cooking to her daughter, sitting frozen in place across the room. The monster is right; Sarah has yet to look anywhere but her mom's face. Megan knows and understands Sarah's need to feed off her strength because Megan is the parent; the person who protects her young with everything she has and all that she is on the inside. She nods her head slightly at Sarah to let her know everything will be okay and sighs.

_How can she give her daughter a glimmer of hope when she feels hopelessness starting to flow through her own veins, leaving her feeling cold and lost? No! She can't think this way! _Not when one of her own flesh and blood needs her to be the strength, the hope and the one keeping the situation stable. Sarah needs her! That's all that matters and that needs to be her focus. With a soft sigh, Megan takes a huge risk and addressing her daughter verbally for the very first time since their ordeal began, needing, wanting her to snap out of it and get her senses back online.

"Honey, do you need something to drink?" Megan leans against the doorframe holding a dish towel.

"Hey! Don't you dare speak out of turn like that! I didn't give you permission to speak!" Martin lurches to his feet, the scowl on his face enough to scare most ordinary people. The distance between him and Megan is eaten up in three strides, as he grabs her arm and throws her to the ground just outside the kitchen. She winces as her elbow crashes against the hard floor but stays strong and silently sits up only to face the barrel of the gun.

The sight shocks Megan and makes her flinch and it's all she can do not to cry out when Martin's sneer returns while his gun arm moves slowly so that the aim is squarely and unmistakably on Sarah's heart. His eyes gleam with a malicious glee that reminds Megan of a rabid animal waiting to pounce.

She realizes she should know by now that his actions aren't normal. She's had to deal with him before. He's still crazy and cruel and taking her eyes off of that part of who he is was a grave mistake**. **She's horrified to find that her simple question, born out of the need to nurture, has caused the monster to violently overreact like this.

Megan shakes her head in apology but it does no good, Martin simply laughs in her face. Still, she stays silent, respecting the danger her baby is in. This is obviously what he wants because he leans forward, locking his dark, dangerous eyes onto Megan's and snarls with such ferocity that it causes Megan's heart to skip a beat.

"You just signed your baby's death certificate!" He jeers as he cocks the trigger and squeezes it. The accompanying roar of gunshot is deafening as it shatters the devastated mother's heart and an earth shattering scream pierces the air _**"NO!"**_


	11. Chapter 10

_A very grateful "Thank you" goes out to my Ace BETA "Gottahavemyncis"_

* * *

Twenty heart-stopping, adrenaline- pumping minutes later, three federal agent-filled cars screech to a halt outside the gas station in question, all of them pouring from the cars just before the vehicles came to a complete stop.

Without sparing even so much as a glance for Tony and Ziva, who already know what to do, Fornell and Gibbs head straight for the Metro cop that looks like he's in charge of the situation. "Sergeant Wilson?"

"Yeah, you Agents Fornell and Gibbs?" He asks expectantly.

The two agents flash their badges as Gibbs keeps things moving along without any wasted time. "What else can you tell us? What happened?"

"Store clerk was shot up pretty bad, lived just long enough to tell the local deputy that your guy Martin came in with two women. Said the gunman holdin' him up took a hostage after he left the store– some local hero who had just gotten out of a cab out fronttried to stop him while he was leaving and ended up paying for it with his life."

At this point of his monologue, the cop pauses, presumably to take a breath though he now changes his focus, looking Gibbs straight on as he seriously speaks his next words. "I'm guessing that hero is your missing Agent."

With a short understanding nod, Gibbs keeps the man moving along with his details. "What else can you tell us?"

"Store clerk mentioned the menacing looking guy that came in just minutes before the shooting, said he had two women with him and the whole scene just creeped him out. Thought they were in it together, a team."

"He say why he thought that?"

"Couldn't. He went from stable condition into cardiac arrest without warning and before he could tell us anything else. They couldn't get his heart started again."

Both Senior Agents are brought up short at the reminder of the loss of life in this situation. Finally, after a respectfully silent moment, Gibbs pushes forward. "Anything else you can tell us? Right now, I've got a man and his family missing and we need to find them ASAP before they join your victim in the morgue."

"Video cameras weren't operational so my guys have been busy trying to track down the few scared witnesses who were in the store at the time. They didn't stick around to become the next target. We did find a second witness who says he saw the gunman rushing out of the store, waving his gun erratically. Says he got scared the gunman would use him as his next target and fled the scene. He never looked back, even when he heard the shots."

"So this gunman went in intending on robbing the place, but left with nothing?"

"That's about the size of it. Guess he got spooked, started emptying his gun out of fear. Store clerk came out to try and run interference for your man. Told us he knew your guy was in trouble, wanted to help.

"Where's this witness now?" Gibbs asks.

The cooperative Sergeant points toward the Metro PD car parked at the front of the store. "Staying warm and staying put in my car. Didn't want him leavin' the scene again. Knew you'd wanna talk to him."

"Thanks."Gibbs just barely manages to offer.

"Sure thing, Agent Gibbs. Sure hope you find your man."

"So do I." Gibbs replies as he turned to go talk to the witnesses. "DiNozzo!" He hollers. He needs his Senior Field Agent as up to speed on this as he is. They'd likely be working different angles in the search for Tim. If they both take this witness's statement, they might come away with more than just one perspective and set of ideas, and they need every advantage they can get to find the McGee family.

"Hey." The scraggly looking teenager mumbles as Gibbs opens the car door and motions for him to get out. "You wanna know about the guy that got wasted as soon as he got out of his cab, huh?"

**_*****NCIS******_**

A painful gasp for air assaults his lungs as his body slowly creeps towards consciousness. With it comes a world of agony and a struggle for the very thing that is essential for living, air. Right now, the act of breathing and drawing in enough oxygen is very nearly beyond the reach of his battered and tormented body. Laying here, wherever here is, he barely has time to realize that he's still alive before blackness swoops in and steals him away once more.

**_****NCIS******_**

Gibbs and Fornell sent the almost uncaring witness, with an accompanying agent, back to the Navy Yard for the composite sketch that the Agency Sketch Artist would put together for Abby to run facial recognition. The MCRT Team Leader feels a wave of aggravation that Abby is already too snowed under with the growing pile of crime scene evidence to do the sketch this time, but he needs her skills focused right where they already are at the moment, on the evidence.

They glance around at the carnage. Blood is everywhere. Gibbs is acutely aware of his agents bagging, tagging and photographing the scene. Gibbs looks back at the LEO who was most helpful earlier but now stands as quiet as a church mouse while the grunts secure the scene both inside the store and out.

"Where's this cab driver?"

"No one knows." Comes the unexpectedly vague answer from the formerly helpful LEO. "No one saw him leave, at least not that anyone remembers. Guess he just faded into the chaos and disappeared."

"Didn't want to be the next victim." Fornell surmises.

"So we got nothin'!" Gibbs bites out angrily as he answers his ringing phone. "Yeah, Gibbs!"

_"Gibbs! Gibbs! Gibbs! We definitely have more than nothing!"_ Abby's excited chatter fills the phone line.

"Whattaya got, Abbs?"

_"Something new!"_

"Abby!"

_"Okay, jeez. The taxi that Timmy's mom and sister were in has been located and it is on its way here to me as we speak. The driver's here already. He's not talkin' though."_

"We'll get him to talk." Gibbs vows. "I'm on my way."

_"Uhm. Gibbs. I can guarantee even you won't be able to get him to talk. I wouldn't waste my time coming back here to interrogate him."_ Abby insists.

"Why the hell not, Abby?"

_"Because, Jethro. The poor man is dead!"_ Ducky's impatient voice booms out over the phone line.

"Talk to me, Duck."

_"Time of death approximately four and a half hours ago. Preliminary cause of death, gunshot wound to the temple."_

"Martin." Gibbs bites out.

_"As you, yourself like to say, Jethro It's a safe bet,"_Ducky agrees sadly. _"Director Shepherd is speaking with the poor man's family now."_

"Thanks, Duck. Abby, keep me posted." Gibbs replies before snapping his phone shut and turning back to his team and calling out to them. "Anything?"

"Nothin'!" Tony answers in complete frustration "Absolutely nothing!"

"We have more than nothing, Gibbs." Ziva corrects as she walks over to him and hands him the brass she's found and bagged.

"Where'd you find it?" Gibbs asks.

Ziva turns and points to the spot further up the road, clearly a turnout for traffic, with its wide concrete surface large enough for a tractor trailer to pull into. "Right next to thefresh dark tire tracks left by a car, obviously leaving in enough of a hurry to leave behind all this trace evidence of their presence."

"Bastard stopped, got out and took a shot at what? He already had McGee!" Tony angrily surmises.

"Maybe." Gibbs agrees. "Right now, we've got way too many questions. I want some answers and I want 'em now!"

"Gibbs. We all want to find McGee." Ziva reminds him calmly. "We are doing all that we can."

"No. We're not!" The boss argues back heatedly.

"What else can we do, Boss? We've got BOLO's out. We're out here working the last known place he was…" Tony defends their efforts.

"Find me that bastard Martin!" Gibbs barks as he turns and walks back to the car, throwing his hat down on the hood in complete frustration.

*****NCIS*****

Almost in slow motion, the things in her vision return in stages as Megan McGee's heart stops racing and she is finally able to form a rational thought. . Unfortunately, at almost the same time Martin deems it appropriate to block her view of her daughter by reaching down and hauling her roughly to her feet, his large hand gripping her upper arm so tight, it hurts..

Gasping in pain, the devastated mother holds her silence as best she can while the monster holding her hostage marches her back into the kitchen. Being denied the chance to check on her daughter, to determine whether she's still breathing and in need of help, further escalates her mental anguish, hampering her ability to think of her next move.

"Don't make me hurt you, sweetheart." Martin growls in her ear. "You wanna end up like your baby girl? Like your little boy, too? Oh, THAT'S right! He was OUR little boy, WASN'T HE?" The evil promise of her own death at the hands of this monster is unmistakable in his tone, along with the mockery of him getting her pregnant with Tim.

Still, she holds her silence. His words are a sharp reminder that he has already taken everything that mattered to her. She has nothing left for him to take except her soul, her life. And none of that is his for the taking, any more than her children's lives had been.

He isn't getting anything more from her, of that she'll make damned sure. Somehow, she will learn to live with the fact that this bastard's quest has cost her children their lives. If she lets him have his way with her again, their deaths will have be in vain. That is not acceptable.

Letting go of her, Martin stares evilly into her eyes as he barks in short angry words:"Fix. My. Dinner. Now!

******NCIS******

Metro PD's Sergeant Wilson sighs heavily as he folds his cell phone shut, walking toward the Federal Agents working on the case he's been unlucky enough to have happen in his jurisdiction. "Your agent's cell phone has just been located."

"What? Where?" Tobias Fornell asks almost in reflex, even though this new information isn't about one of _his_ men.

"State park about twenty minutes from here." Wilson replies as he points to the one detective on the scene that isn't scouring for evidence, but rather, standing closest to them, writing on a clipboard. "Detective Miller?"

"Sir!" The prepared man snaps out as he steps up and confirms the information.

Gibbs feels his gut clench at the news that his missing and now presumed dead agent's cell phone has just been found in the same park as the blood trail they 'd followed. The blood that turned out to be Tim's. _What the hell had they missed? " _Where exactly was it found?" He asks angrily.

"Not somewhere you'd be if you weren't scouring the grounds for a missing person like my men are right now, about a mile off the beaten path." Detective Miller answers without batting an eye.

"Tell them not to touch anything!" Gibbs orders as he turns to get Tony's attention, yelling to his Senior Field Agent, "DiNozzo!"

Tony sprints towards the boss, closing the distance very quickly. "Yeah, Boss?"

"Go get us McGee's phone."

"His pho… wait, we have his phone?"

"My people found it. Benicia State Park" Wilson replies.

The blood drains from Tony's face as it registers the fact that they were just there earlier in the day – with the blood trail that had Tim's blood...and they'd somehow missed this? "Boss? That's ri…"

"Yeah. DiNozzo. I know. Go on, get over there. Tell Ziva to take what you collected here back to Abby." Gibbs orders firmly to get his Senior Field Agent moving past this particular punch to the gut.

"Jenkins!" Fornell breaks his own silence to call out to his own men. "You and half these guys here get over to Benicia State Park. Agent DiNozzo's lead on site!"

"Don't have enough cars to split up, Boss." Tony reminds the Team Leader.

"Let Fornell's team drive." Gibbs orders wearily as he turns to get into his own agency vehicle,

"On it, Boss!" Tony replies seriously as he triple-times his way over to Ziva to inform her of the boss's order, before running over to the FBI Sedan that is filling up with agents.

Watching both his agents head out to their designated tasks, the Team Leader turns to get into his own agency car, only to be stopped by the words of the Officer with all the information.

"There's more."

Gibbs turns and glares at the man impatiently.

"Your agent's been found, too."

"Better be a _damned_ good reason you're just now telling me this." Gibbs growls angrily.

"Tryin' to spare your team some grief, Agent Gibbs." The other man replies evenly. "There's a body at the county morgue that matches your agent's description almost completely. No identification on him. I've already told them to expect you shortly."

Fornell, getting in the passenger seat at the same time, barely has enough time to close the door before the car shoots out of the parking lot like a bullet.

*****NCIS*******

Not even a mile down the road, in the midst of the uncomfortable silence, the NCIS agent drags his phone out of his pocket, opens it and hits the speed dial for his Forensic Scientist. Gibbs waits impatiently for her to answer the call. Thankfully, it is not a long wait.

_"Gibbs! Are you calling with good news?"_

"You got anything for me yet, Abbs?"

_"You cannot rush science, Gibbs! How many times do we have to have this conversation? I know we want all the answers on this yesterday, but that does not mean I can make that happen!"_

"Call me when you've got somethin'" Gibbs answers her rant with his typical short response that he cuts off by ending the call.

"You didn't tell her about the morgue." Fornell observes quietly.

"No reason until we verify it." The Team Leader replies in the same tone.

"True."

The only response the FBI agent gets is the car accelerating under the pressure of the tension emanating from the driver's seat.

*****NCIS*****

Tony's mind is a mess. His thoughts can't settle on any single part of all the completely screwed up pieces of this mess. _Probie's dead. _And the worst of it is that the damn fine kid had suffered through all this… all this personal pain and trauma alone, without any support from his team._ Hell, the guy probably felt more alone in his final moments than he'd ever felt before. Why the hell wasn't I a better friend to him? His body's out here somewhere thanks to that murderous bastard and I'm being sent to retrieve his wallet? Why the hell was his wallet the only thing they found?_

_***Ring***  
__  
_"DiNozzo." Tony answers his cell phone that has just pulled him from his pain filled thoughts.

_"Agent DiNozzo, I understand they found your friend at the morgue. The latest 'John Doe' brought in without any identification on him?"_

"Who the hell is this?" Tony barks angrily, his mind not willing to accept what he's hearing.

_"Detective Miller?"_

"Miller? As in the Metro Detective from the crime scene at the gas station we just left from?" Tony asks with irritation.

_"Yes, Sir. Just thought you'd like to know, is all."_

"Thanks. Appreciate it" The Senior Field Agent offers quietly as he attemps to find his manners despite the really bad news he's being handed.

_"I'm sorry for your loss. It's always bad when we lose one of the good guys."_

"Yeah, well, he was definitely one of the good guys." Tony replies sadly as he snaps his phone shut and lays his head back against the back of the seat. Letting out a deep sigh, he opens his phone back up and hits the speed dial for the Team Leader.

_"Yeah, Gibbs."_

"Boss. Is it true? He's at the morgue? A John Doe?"

_"***Sigh*** Not there yet, Tony. I'll let you know."_

"Boss, that _can't_ be right! It has to be a mis…"

_"DiNozzo."_ Gibbs cuts in quietly. _"Focus. Just get the scene out there processed. Make sure you don't miss anything and get his phone back to Abby. Keep me updated."_

"On it, Boss." Tony replies tiredly as he snaps his phone shut once more and turns to look out the window, no one else in the car saying a word.

******NCIS******

"Good thing you know how to cook." Lucas Martin remarks in between shoveling French fries into his mouth and tearing into his hamburger as if he hadn't eaten in days. "I was startin' to think you don't wanna to enjoy your time with me. You do realize that if you expect to have a good time with me, then a little cooperation is in order. "

Megan is holding on with every ounce of inner strength she has, to her emotions, to her silence, to her sanity. Staring at the plate of food in front of her, it's all she can do not to lose the sparse contents of her stomach,at the thought of sitting here as if it were nothing out of the ordinary to do so, while her daughter lies in God knows what condition, out of sight in the next room.

In a moment of overwhelming fury and grief, she stands back up. "I need a glass of water."

Glaring at her, his mouth too full of food to speak, Martin's fury radiates from him, filling the air between them with danger.

Hoping to distill his rage, she quickly adds. "You need one too. I'll get it for you."

She's quick to grab a tumbler from the cupboard and turn on the faucet, filling the cup after rinsing it once. Turning back to the table, she sets his water down, watching as he quickly reaches for the drink, his eyes beginning to water.

Hiding her smirk at the reminder of how little pepper she left in the shaker as she cooked his meal, Megan turns back to the faucet, her cup in hand. As her eyes fall on the knife block, her survival instincts throw her a lifejacket. _Arm yourself!_

"BITCH!" Martin yells as he jerks to his feet, the chair falling to the floor. That startles him enough that he glances at it, providing Megan the perfect opportunity to use her left hand to listen to her instincts before casually turning around, and being yanked up against her captive's body, by the hair on her head. His vice-like hold sends spikes of agony through her body as he spews his angry words, "I told you no funny business! If your baby bird wasn't already dead, she would be now!"

Deliberately taking what can only be a calming breath, Martin releases her and steps back, but just barely; his breath smelling of the lunch he's just consumed makes her sick to her stomach. His silence, while eerie, speaks to his expectation that she'll try to excuse her behavior.

She doesn't disappoint him. "I didn't do it on purpose." She pleads quietly. All her hopes are pinned on him calming down, at least for now. She needs him to leave her along for a minute so she can think her way out of this mess.

"You think I'm stupid enough to believe that? You just better count yourself lucky that I need you alive and well, lady!" he growls in her ear. " Otherwise, that breath you took just now would be your last!"

Megan swallows hard. She screwed up again, underestimated him just enough to keep things from happening in her favor. It's not a mistake she's likely to make again. Now she knows she has no foreseeable way out of this mess. At least he's not doing anything worse to her – in _this_ moment.

"I think you need another lesson in how to cooperate." He announces almost calmly as he unexpectedly sends her sprawling across the room, to land in a heap, her head banging harshly against the wall, the world as she knows it tumbling down into a black void she can't escape.

******NCIS******

Angrily punching keyboard keys, Abby jerks back and begins impatiently pacing as she waits for Gibbs to pick up his phone on his end; her end broadcasted over the speakerphone while she vents her excited energy. "Come on, Gibbs! Pick up! Pick up! Pick u…"

_"Yeah, Abbs, Whattaya got?"_

"Gibbs! Where have YOU been? You're late! You're always right on time when I find something and this time, when Timmy's depending on us the most, you're late!" She fired off her diatribe with the speed of too many Caf-Pows egging her on.

_"HEY!_ " Gibbs barks over the phone.

"Sorry. " She huffs out. "But, I've got MAJOR news! And it's been a while since you checked in and_… " _

Gibbs'quiet, sad sigh wasn't quiet enough to escape his Forensic Scientist's keen hearing, even over the phone. "Abby, I called you ten minutes ago."

"_What aren't you telling me, Gibbs?"_ She demands. "I can hear it in your tone. You found out something! Spill it!"

_"Abby, we just got a confirmation that McGee is d…."_

The extra gentle tone in his voice struck her in the heart. Immediately, her mind found 'denial' mode. "No, Gibbs. No! Do NOT tell me Timmy's dead! I will NOT believe you!

_"Abby, we're ."_

"I have GOOD news, Gibbs, remember me just saying that?"

_"Okay. Give it to me."_

"I know where they are!" She crows excitedly. "I found them!"

_"Send the address to Fornell's cell. Ziva's too."_

"Gibbs! This is GREAT news! I've found Timmy and his mom and sister!" She can't help but celebrate by repeating her news loudly.

_"No. Abby. You didn't. You may have found his sister and his mother. But, McGee's…"_

"NO!"

_"Abby, calm down and focus! Now send the address to Ziva and Fornell's phone." _

"He's NOT dead, Gibbs!"

_"Focus is on finding his mother and sister now, Abby."_

"Why are you giving up on him? He's NOT dead! I'd know it if he was dead. I'd feel it. And I don't!"

_"Don't hold on to that to tight, Abbs. You're just makin' it harder…" _

Abruptly the call is disconnected on Gibbs' end and that is all it takes to send her anger over the top as she quickly sends the address to the phones and begins stomping around her lab to burn through her excess energy and nearly overflowing emotions without hurting one of her babies. _How dare Gibbs give up on Timmy like this! Sure, he's right in that they need to focus on Mrs. McGee and Sarah, but that doesn't mean they should believe her friend is dead! _

******NCIS*******

"Jethro?" Fornell asks as the Team Leader tosses his phone angrily up on the dash.

"Check your phone. Give me the address, then get your Task Force headed over there," Gibbs replies in all seriousness. He gives no hint of what exactly it is he's thinking or what the conversation with Abby has done to him on top of the loss of his agent. Tim has died, because of the mistakes and misjudgments of those Tim trusted the most. It leaves such a burning white-hot anger in his soul that the former Marine is finding it hard to breathe or to think straight.

"Hell, this isn'tforty minutes from here!" Tobias exclaims as he reads off the address. "Out in the middle of nowhere, but it's where we caught him the first time! Why would he go back there?"

"You're tellin' me that you knew about this place yet you didn't think to have your people already there waitin' for him to show up, Tobias?" Gibbs demands angrily, his more personal emotions safely locked away once more - now that he had something on which to focus his anger.

Knowing better than to try to explain away that screw-up, Fornell focuses his attention on calling his people with the address of the house Abby gave them.

When silence greets his question, Gibbs lets the surge of anger loose, in the form of his foot pushing the gas pedal to the floor while his arms tighten into steel bands holding the steering wheel.


	12. Chapter 11

_While the Federal Authorities led by Team Gibbs race to save them, the McGee women face more of Martin's sadistic behavior._

_Unfortunately, Megan and Sarah are in for a rough road._ (You have been duly warned)

_Will the team get there before it's too late? How will the women get through thier ordeal?_

* * *

"So how… did your girl …wonder find this... ?" Tobias manages to ask as he hangs on for dear life.

"Something she and McG…" Gibbs breaks off his reply, not willing to go down that road right now. He can't afford the emotional distraction. But with his fallen agent's name on his mind once more, he's reminded of the unpleasant task still not finished, back at the county morgue.

"Hand me my phone, will ya?" He asks; mentally head slapping himself for tossing it out of his own reach earlier.

"Yeah, sure." Fornell reaches up on the dash and retrieves his friend's phone, handing it to him, only to watch as he makes a call while still driving almost recklessly.

"Hey, Duck. Need you to do somethin' for me."

_"What can I do for you, Jethro?"_

"Need you to go to the county morgue – find out if their John Doe i…."

_"Is our Timothy? Oh, dear, I dread this, but I will get over there with all speed, my friend."_

"Thanks, Duck. "

_"No thanks is needed. Abigail told me you're in a race to save the young man's mother and sister from this monster. I understand Ziva is on her way to join you in your search. Don't let him get away with this, Jethro. Any of it!"_

"Not plannin' on it, Duck. Keep me posted."

_"I certainly will."_

Ending the call, Gibbs is reminded by Ducky's comments just why the young man's mother and sister are in such grave danger. If it isn't already too late, the chances of Mrs. McGee suffering though yet another vicious rape at that monster's hands, are astronomically against her since the bastard madehis intentions clear with those comments to Tim back in December to that regard**.**

"I think I'm grateful DiNutso's sitting this one out." Tobias remarks. "No tellin' how he'll take it if we don't get there before that bastard's done anything to them."

Taking his phone back out, Gibbs hits a speed dial number. "Hey, change of plans…"

*****NCIS*****

A terse phone call from the boss has the sedan full of FBI Agents and one thoroughly agitated NCIS agent burning rubber as it does a u-turn in the road, rushing to join in the updated location for Martin. The FBI Agents already on the scene can handle the evidence found at the State Park.

Tony's relieved there's now somewhere to start looking for his probie's mother and sister. It is the least they can do for Tim, rescuing them and keeping them safe. With a sigh of pain and loss, Tony blinks hard to clear his vision, the world outside the car window flashing by like his own life flashing before his eyes.

_Was this how Tim felt in his final moments? Did he suffer? Did that monster hurt him? Torture him? Why didn't they do a better job protecting him? The poor kid had gone out of his way to keep his family and teammates safe – yet he couldn't count on them to do just as much for him? What the hell had gone wrong? Why? _

Reaching up, Tony wipes his face, his hand coming away wet, as he shuddered to regain control of his emotions.

*****NCIS*****

For the second time since Martin had taken them, Megan comes round to a fuzzy world and a head where every thrum and throb of pain seems to reverberate around her skull. One thing she is sure of, she will definitely need medical attention to make sure there was no serious damage, but for now that is not what's important. What is important is…is…

Megan's thoughts mingle together, making a jumbled and confused melee. Wh_ere exactly is she? And why…SARAH! _Suddenly the pounding confusion gives way to clarity and everything floods back in a wash of where they are and memories of Martin manhandling her. How long has she been unconscious?

"Well, well, well, look who's finally awake!" Lucas Martin taunts the object of his long-term fantasy as she struggles to gain her equilibrium so she can stand up. "Looks like we're gonna get to put on a show for your little girl after all, Momma."

Megan looks blearily at Martin and watches with horror as his arms go from encircling her daughter's waist to roughly grabbing her arm. "What…?" She tries, but logical thought and speech are still beyond her concussed mind. "Sarah?" _ALIVE? Sarah's alive!_

"That's right, Momma. Looks like I _didn'_t kill your little chickadee, after _all_.

Before she can stop herself, Megan's asking for confirmation of Sarah's well-being. "You…are you okay baby?"

"STOP TALKING TO HER!" Martin rages as he drags Sarah toward the bed.

"MOM!" Sarah cries, her pleas getting further away with each step she's dragged.

Megan tries to follow, but dizziness and nausea prevail, leaving her with no option but to slump back against the wall and give her body time to recover. Sarah's counting on her to get them out of this alive.

"Sarah! It's okay honey. Just…just do what he says."

"You sure about that, Momma ?" Martin snarls tauntingly.

From where she is huddled against the wall, Megan hears the sound of whimpering followed by the sound of clothing being torn and ripped. With every sound, every pained whimper, she tries to move to intervene, but two head traumas are enough to keep her down. Her body simply won't comply fast enough, despite the fact that she's currently letting her little girl be mauled by the monster. It's all almost too much to bear.

With a herculean effort, she finally manages to make it to her feet, but a strong, firm hand grips her hard at the top of her arm and pulls her round so she is facing the bedroom. The abrupt change in momentum and dizziness makes her retch and she loses the little she has in her stomach.

"Damn it! LOOK! Look at yer baby now. Trussed up on my bed with nothing but her panties and bra on. Just right for a night of fun, wouldn't you say, Momma? Had to gag her though because like you, she's got a mouth on her."

Looking up, Megan's heart breaks at the sight of her little girl tied up on the bed. She knows it's so much worse for Sarah, de-humanizing at the very least. She knows that that act alone will forever leave Sarah feeling violated and worthless.

"Now, you don't wanna know what I'll do to your baby girl, if you don't do and say EXACTLY what I tell you, **nothing** more and **nothing** less." As he issues this ultimatum, Martin grips Megan's chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. "DO we understand each other better now?"

"Yes." Megan replies without hesitation or any sign of fear. At seeing Sarah, adrenalin is kicking in and the strength that had left her upon waking up is slowly returning. She'll play his game, but not at the expense of her inner strength or her daughter's life, now that she has a second chance to protect her. She needs that strength to get through this, concussion or not. Right now, she cannot afford to let her health deteriorate or dictate what happens in this hell hole.

"Good. Then I suggest you prove it by doing exactly as I say – and take off every single piece of clothing you have on. Slowly. Very slowly." Martin announces as he smiles broadly. "I let your girl keep her underwear on, but you? No, you get to take everything off. I'm going to enjoy every minute of this. Of watching you offer yourself to me, piece by piece. Who knows, before this is over, you might even be begging me for it."

She can't stop herself from freezing at his de-humanizing command. Without moving a muscle or blinking once, Megan stares back. She holds his stare. To make matters worse, he's almost nonchalantly setting up a video camera in a position of the room that makes it obvious he's capturing both her and Sarah's complete humiliation and degradation.

"What are you doing?" Megan says quietly; her words slightly slurred. "Please, do what you want to me, but leave my daughter out of this. She… "

"Gets to stay covered for now. Argue with me and I'll take that away from her, too, leaving her just as naked as you're gonna be here in a bit. And she'll stay tied up so she won't do anything stupid like try to get away!"

"No…please! Not like this. Not…"

But he has no patience for her reaction and cuts her dead as he minimizes the distance between them, stopping only when he's in her face. "Strip! Now!"

Megan's heart constricts at where this is undoubtedly going now that she's done all she can to stall him. He's already taken her son from her and now her daughter is in serious danger. She has to keep her head on straight to get them out of this but she's finding it hard to even think with him in her face like this. Thankfully he steps back, giving her the room to breathe, even though she still can't seem to force her muscles to cooperate with his demands.

With a vicious yank, she's pulled towards the bed and recoils in horror as Martin pushes her down onto the end of the bed and trains a weapon at her head. She barely has time to reach out to Sarah when the monster smirks and viciously brings his fist down into Sarah's stomach. Despite being semi-conscious, the hit causes the younger McGee to writhe in pain as much as the duct tape bindings would allow.

"You _want _me to kill her, don't you?" Martin rants. "That's why you won't cooperate! Refuse to obey me or answer me again and the next time, it won't be my _fist_ in her gut!" He supports his threat by swinging the gun from Megan and pushing it into Sarah's stomach. "It won't be quick, I promise you that."

Seeing her baby's mouth taped shut with a strip of wide, silverduct tape that stretches once around her entire head, Megan finds silent tears trying to escape from behind her eyelids even as she does her damnedest to hold them back. The pained moans from her daughter have now silenced as Martin's threat to end their lives apparently sinks in. Megan is greatly affected by everything that has just happened and with horror as her little girl, her sweet baby girl gives into the pain and fear, leaving her almost catatonic.

With Sarah bound on the bed what is a mother to do, but finally concede defeat to save her child and give into the demands of a madman. After all, the last thing either of them need is for Martin to be getting a bigger ego trip from any of this and more tears would certainly tip the scale in that direction.

When the bastard's fist connected with Sarah's stomach, the desperate straits they're in became clear. Everything was in his hands and it was his way or nothing. Bound to a bed at his mercy, even when in pain. Sarah fighting her pain. That was the level of control Martin had over her daughter, over both of them.

"Okay…okay. Please, just don't hurt her any more, I'll do anything, but don't hurt my daughter. I'm the one you want, remember?" Megan pleads and as soon as the words leave her lips, she is yanked up from the end of the bed and turned to face Martin.

"That's a good Momma." The monster sarcastically croons as his eyes remain locked on hers like glue. He knows that through her peripheral vision she can see what he is doing and runs the gun down Sarah's cheek bone in a dangerous caress that strikes more fear into Megan's heart. "Now, unless you'd like to watch me find my pleasure with your chickadee instead of you, I suggest you start cooperatin'. I told ya she can keep some of her dignity. OR I'll strip her of that too. Then, I'll just have my fun with _her _instead, if you don't cooperate with me. Look at it as incentive. The more you fight me or stall, the more she'll be punished. Got it?"

"Yes." Megan replies quietly.

"What? I didn't hear ya." He goads her as he points the gun in Sarah's direction.

"I'VE GOT IT!" Megan yells desperately to stop the beast from getting even closer to violating her daughter even more or God forbid shooting her in the head.

She can see her daughter laying rigidly in fear of flinching in case it makes Martin shoot, but being her mother, Megan can see the fine tremors that wrack Sarah's body. It's the kind of fear that any parent wants to shield their kids from. It's the raw terror that will haunt anyone for years to come…if they survive the horror. Right now Sarah is trying not to move in fear of having her head blown off. Her breaths are coming in short, nasal pants as she tries to stay in control. This is too close to death. The threat has hit home and all that stands between Sarah and her life is the psychopath that is holding them hostage.

The earlier gunshot that missed her by only a half-inchalready has her so terrified that her life and her mother's life is over that she doesn't know what to say, think, or do. She has no idea where her big brother is or why he hasn't come to her rescue. She never turned around in the cab at the gas station but the sound of those gunshots still resounded in her head as well. _Is that why Tim's not here? Is that why Mom looked like her life was over until she realized I was still alive?_

"Now, you and me – we're gonna do what I came here to do. I was forced to be patient and wait, hunt everywhere to find you– and now that I have you - we're gonna do this my way and for as long and as often as I feel like! And doll? With the knockout body like yours – we're gonna be here a very long time!"


	13. Chapter 12

_A/N: Absolutely, could not do this without the awesome help of both Shelbylou and Gottahavemyncis -_

_Words cannot express..."Thank you!"_

* * *

As the world outside the car window races by the flying FBI sedan, Tony's mind replays the two phone calls that have changed his focus and given him hope that not all is lost in this nightmare. The first one had come from Abby.

***Flashback***

_Tony's cell phone rings. Hoping against hope that it's the boss with the news he wants to hear, Tony frowns when he hears Abby's voice instead._

_"TONY!"_

_Holding the phone away from his ear, he grimaces in discomfort. "Jeez, Abbs. A little upset are we? Are you really trying to make me deaf?"_

_"Ooh, sorry, Tony." Abby offers. "I just wanted to hear you say that you have good news! Tell me Gibbs got there in time! Tell me he found all of them!"_

_"Got where, Abby? What are you talking about?"_

_"Oops! Gotta go!" Abby hung up in Tony's ear, just in time for it to ring again, this time with none other than Gibbs himself on the other end._

_"Hey, change of plans – get that posse you're leading packed up. Meet me at the address Abby's sending to your phone. Now."_

_. Tony doesn't get a word in as the call abruptly ends._

_****End Flashback***_

Tony blinks as he returns to the here and now. He feels a wave of relief wash over him, knowing this means Mrs. McGee and Sarah have been located._ Why else would everyone need to converge on one location? Who can help but feel relief at that news?_

**_*****NCIS*****  
_**

He blinks into awareness; the pain still all encompassing. He does not bother trying to move a muscle since every breath he takes is causing enough pain as it is. His brain is not kicking in; he is unable to formulate a single thought. His entire existence centers on the struggle to breathe, and nothing else.

After an eternity, his brain formulates the thought that at least it is not too hot out here and thank goodness the sun is not beating relentlessly down on his fair skin. With an involuntary movement that would be a frown in normal circumstances, his next thought questions the lucidity of the first few. Before he can find any clarity, darkness once again swoops in to steal him back, as if he were a possessioninstead of a seriously wounded NCIS Agent.

*******NCIS*******

Megan McGee feels a moment of absolute horror at the realization that, as if things aren't desperately bad enough for them, now she must somehow convince this monster to leave her daughter in peacewhile sheherself has to, of all things in a time like this, use the bathroom! _How the hell can she insure Sarah's safety like this? _

"There a problem, Momma?" Martin taunts her as she looks nervously from her little girl's still form to the monster holding them hostage and back again.

"We've been here a long time." She tries to build up her explanation so he won't think she's just stalling; although any extra time this will give her and Sarah before he has the chance to steal away what's left of their dignity certainly won't hurt.

"I'm guessing you have a point?" Martin drawls with a feral grin.

"If I promise to come right back, will you leave her alone while I use the bathroom? PLEASE?"

"Ah. I see." Laughing out loud, Martin soon loses his veneer of lethal danger as his almost non-existent sense of humor catches hold of him. Trying to speak through his taunting laughter, he can only nod at her, though the short response does manage to be heard in spurts. "go….hahhahhaha…..bath….hahahaha..room…."

Not wasting a minute, Megan is gone like a shot, out of the room and to the bathroom she'd seen when they first arrived in the cabin hours ago. Relieved that Martin is obviously not a quiet laugher, she tries to determine what to do next. She's thankful that her dizziness and sick stomach have settled into almost nothing, even though she's beyond frustrated that nothing comes to her as an escape plan. It's as if those two blows haverobbed her of her survival skills."YOU'VE GOT 2 MINUTES, FUNNY LADY!" Martin calls out loudly enough to be heard throughout the cabin. "IF YOU'RE LATE, I START HAVIN' MY FUN WITH THE LITTLE VERSION OF YOU I'VE GOT RIGHT HERE!"

_Oh, God!_ Megan exhales. Obviously, his fit of laughter is over and she has to hurry. Foregoing washing her hands, , she jerks the bathroom door open and spies the knife she took from the kitchen earlier, laying under the chair, next to where she'd fallen the first time Martin had struck her.

Thanking her lucky stars that it is out of sight of the bedroom doorway; she starts to move over to it slowly, but naturally so he won't notice that it's there. She's hoping to scoop it up without being seen but she knows she can go with Plan B. That plan is todraw Martin over thereand get him to react, thereby giving her the opportunity to grab itand use it on him before he even realizes what's going on.

"What the HELL do you think you're doing?" Martin bellows as he stalks over to her and pushes her, as he grabs her harshlyby the upper arms to shake her; his hands slipping as she seems to lose her dizziness, Megan drops to the floor in a pre—calculatedheap, throwing him off guard long enough for her to reach out and grab the knife. Mentally she thanks God, this is playing out in their favorand that this bastard has been nice enough to play perfectly into her plan.

"No! We're not wasting anymore time!" Martin roughly hauls Megan to her feet. His hands tightly grip her, one on the back of her neck and the other on her arm. "You're playing with fire and it's about the dumbest move you've made so far!" He growls at her. "My patience has run out. I want you and I want you right now!"

As she's propelled back into the bedroom, Megan notices with profound relief that the gun is now further away from Martin than she is with her knife. It's now or never and she knows it.

**_****NCIS*****_**

"We go in quiet." Gibbs orders the posse of agents, now just yards away from the front door of the cabin. "Tony, you and your team take the back. Ziva, you're with us on the front. We take him alive."

"So long as McGee's family is safe." Ziva adds her own warning. She wants a piece of this animal as much as the rest of them, but she won't let him do anything to Mrs. McGee or Sarah to keep him alive.

"Yeah." Gibbs agrees as he leads the stealth raid up to the front door, a wall of blue vest wearing, gunwielding federal agents moving as one.

The first to reach the front door, Ziva is shocked to find it unlocked. As quietly as she can, she turns the handle and slowly opens the door.

_"Back door's locked up tight, Boss."_ Tony's voice is heard in the ear wig communication they're all wearing. _"Boarded up. All the windows on the backside of the house are too."_

"Take up position on the perimeter. He's not walking away." Tobias orders just before he and Gibbs step through the front door, a half dozen agents right behind them.

"Spread out in pairs." Tobias tells his agents closest to him.

As mumbled voices become clearer from beyond the enclosed front porch of the cabin, Gibbs checks on Ziva who has gone ahead and is no longer visible to him. "Da'vid."

_"Gibbs, all three of them are in the bedroom. The rest of the cabin is clear."_

Tobias and Gibbs share a knowing look. There's a lot Ziva didn't say but it's obvious she doesn't want the posse to find what she's found. Tobias gives the order. "Clear out. Cabin's been secured." With a nod, he turns and leaves with his men, with a parting promise directed to his friend and fellow law enforcement agent. "We'll be waiting outside."

_"Gibbs. Where is that ambulance?"_ Ziva whispers. _"Sarah needs medical attention."  
_  
With his heart in his throat, Gibbs closes the distance between himself and his agent, anger and shock fighting to take space in his gut as he lays eyes on poor Sarah McGee, nearly naked, bound, gagged and almost lifeless on the bed, her eyes glued to the monster presently so wrapped up in pushing her mother back to the bed and doing his best to paw the rest of her mother'sclothes off of her, that he hasn't even heard them coming.

Spying the gun clear across the room, where Martin cannot get to it, Ziva steps silently just to the side of Gibbs, providing a unified wall the killer and rapist will not be able to evade. Both agents are livid with rage at the sight of Mrs. McGee nearly completely undressed; only a hastily thrown on zippered hoodie covers her otherwise bare upper body. The fact that she's bearing a large goose egg on her forehead turns up the heat of their anger. However, Martin's vulgar mouth and clear intentions towards the poor woman spurs them to act before another minute goes by.

With a short nod for Ziva's benefit, Gibbs quickly wraps his arm tightly around Martin's throat from behind while Ziva pushes her service weapon into the side of his neck. "I suggest you let her go." Gibbs growls quietly. "If you wanna make it out this alive."

"That is very good advice." Ziva warns him. "I would do as he says if I were you."

At the sound of her rescue filling her senses, Sarah's eyes move to Ziva's as she whimpers from the cold, fear and pain she's still suffering. The desperation in her eyes is as heartbreaking as the sound of her fear.

"Get Sarah out of here." Gibbs quietly tells Ziva as he uses his free hand to push Martin toward the wall and turns his full attention back to the monster the whole of Washington D.C. has been hunting. "It's over! Put your hands behind your back! Now!"

Wrapping Sarah in a blanket, Ziva is quick to help her sit up on the far side of the bed, once her bindings have been removed. Making quick work of things, it is not long before the two women are nearly out of the bedroom and away from Lucas Martin.

Almost completely passive and without making a sound, Lucas Martin appears to give it up without a fight. Letting his hands drop to his sides, he frowns deeply as Megan McGee slips from his grasp; his long sought-after prize getting away.

Megan remains in the room, compelled to watch him get taken down so she'll know without a doubt that he'll never hurt anyone else. Her heart is soaring with relief that her daughter is now safe and her own life is saved as well.

Pretending to stumble, it is Martin's turn to make use of the distraction, letting himself exaggerate his fake fall almost completely across the room, his hand snaking out to snag his gun almost quicker than anyone can see.

Megan's relief is short-lived however, when Martin neatly recovers from his self-induced stumble and comes away smiling like a Cheshire cat, now brandishing his weapon.

"I'm not going back just to die in the chair." He informs them as he aims the gun at Megan's head. "Besides, I haven't gotten what I came for."

"That's good to know." Gibbs smarts back at him without pity, his own service weapon trained on Martin's head.

He means it, too. It's a huge relief to hear this bastard admit he hasn't managed to rape either of his captives. Glancing over at Mrs. McGee, he doesn't like the look in her eyes.

The silent, tense standoff seems to go on forever. No one moves and no one speaks. Even the approaching wail of the ambulance doesn't break up the tension in a room still filled with danger. Megan knows her baby is safe now. Her little boy is dead and she has nothing left on her mind except making sure this bastard can never do this to another woman, **_ever_**. Her hand gently caresses the handle of the knife, hidden in her jacket pocket, as she learns its shape, weight and size. Even with his gun pointed at her head, she can only think of one thing; perfecting her aim. Her heart in her throat, she baits the hook.

"Lucas. If you put the gun down, I'll give you what you came for."

*****NCIS***  
**

With the perimeter cleared and secured, the ambulance there with the paramedics attending to Sarah, and Gibbs inside taking care of Martin's arrest, Tobias Fornell orders a team back to the State Park for the securing of that scene.

Suddenly aware that his Team Leader has been left alone to handle the murdering rapist, Tony turns on Tobias. "Why the hell aren't you in there helping him get that bastard into custody?"

"Gibbs can handle him. Besides, I'm not much into taking what little dignity a victim has left by being part of a crowd, DiNozzo. He'll be fine. He most likely won't be if he comes out and finds that we're all still standing here instead of going to retrieve your boy's things from that park."

Unwilling to let anyone outside the team handle the last task to be done for his probie, bringing his personal belongings back to NCIS, Tony once again leads as one car full of agents speeds away. It's dusk going to dark now and it will be harder than hell to do the job they need to do without any natural light. That knowledge lights a fire under them as they do thier best to get there.


	14. Chapter 13

_"Lucas. If you put the gun down, I'll give you what you came for."_

Lucas Martin scoffs with abject disbelief. There's no way in hell she's being honest with him and she should know that he's not stupid enough to believe her for a minute. Feeling cornered even with a gun in his hand, he plays his trump card, pointing the gun now at the one person in the room who is obviously not planning to let him leave here a free man, and pretends to swallow her bait, somewhat, at least. "Whattaya say I take you up on your offer – just as soon as I get rid of our uninvited guest, hmm? Three's definitely a crowd in this room."

*****NCIS******

Riding in the ambulance carrying Sarah to Bethesda, _Ziva is relieved to see Sarah wake up after a few moments of rather rocky riding as they made their way out of this backwoods hellhole. _

_"Ziva?" Sarah croaks weakly._

_"I am here." Ziva reassures her quietly._

"No." The younger woman objects as her eyes fill with fear. "You have to go back! Save mom!" Sarah's energy is quickly depleted and she closes her eyes in exhaustion, even as tremors overtake her.

_Wrapping the warming blanket the paramedics had placed over Sarah, more closely around the shivering young woman, Ziva nods as she takes out her cell phone. "Alright. But you will not be left alone. I will send another agent with you."_

_Sarah nods without speaking; knowing the NCIS Agent needed to know she'd heard her._

_Calling Tony because he is their SFA and for once she respects that, _Ziva is quick to ask his opinion on this change of plans.

_"Good idea, Da'vid. My gut is bothering me about leaving Gibbs back there alone, too. Give me a second to stop this parade and we'll get Agent Morris to go with Sarah while you take two of Fornell's guys back with you."_

"Tony, I do not nee…"

_"Ziva! You're **taking **back up."_ Tony orders firmly. "Already lost Tim. Not losing either of you two to this bastard, too."

Ziva's eyes close in a moment of relived pain at the reminder of her lost teammate and friend. Suddenly, the stubborn need to do this her way evaporates in the face of Tony's reasoning that as Senior Field Agent he was not required to give. Recognizing his way of showing her he is being reasonable, Ziva swallows around the lump in her throat and gives him what he needs most at the moment; her cooperation. "Alright."

It's all of three short minutes before the cars with Tony, the FBI agents and the other NCIS agents catch up with the ambulance. All vehicles stop as Ziva climbs out of the ambulance and Agent Angela Morris takes her place. The exchange complete, the ambulance continues speedily on its way, sirens wailing.

Tony looks in the rearview mirror and can't help a small chuckle as he and the team continue their frantic race with daylight, back to the state park. At the questioning glances from the others in the car with him, Tony can only explain it with one word. "Ziva."

Glancing behind them, all they see is a cloud of dust Ziva's left in her wake. She'd wasted no time, once her demand to drive had been acceded to, putting the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor.

******NCIS*******

_Informed by phone of the change in plans, Tobias Fornell offers only a quick word and nod of understanding. When questioned about letting the NCIS agents change things without consulting him, the Lead FBI agent reminds the team riding with him that over the years he has learned to trust Gibbs' gut over the years and recognizes its validity with DiNozzo and Da'vid. _

_Ziva stops the car close enough but far enough away from the cabin to maintain silence. Ordering the FBI Agent with her to stand guard at the door, she goes into her ninja stealth mode, entering the house alone._

**_****NCIS*****_**

"…up" Martin demands of Gibbs. "Back up right now, so I won't be wearing your blood when I put a bullet in your head."

Gibbs backs up, making sure his steps take him closer to Megan as he does so. He's hoping to stop her from making this mistake but before he can do or say anything to prevent it, Martin's yelling angrily.

"Get away from her!"

Taking a minute to stare silently at the bastard willing to drag this out, Gibbs sees in his peripheral vision that Ziva has returned. Deliberately keeping his eyes focused on Martin for a moment longer, the Team Leader lets Ziva continue to move as she sees fit. He knows she will position herself where she can be most useful at disarming this standoff without any fatalities.

"C'mere doll." Martin orders Megan as he slides his eyes over to her. Finding her unzipping her sweatshirt, his eyes remain glued to her almost naked body.

Taking advantage of the diversion, Gibbs locks eyes on his agent long enough to see _their team signal for him to move to the left on the silent synchronized count of three. _

In a flash, it's over, as Martin finally sees Ziva and angrily firms his grip on the trigger of his gun, preparing to fire the kill shot at Gibbs. As Gibbs moves his upper body out of Ziva's way, he's unprepared for Megan's move as she throws the knife with all her might, directly into Martin's heart. It stops the bastard cold but only for a second; the roar of his gun deafens them as his trigger finger jerks in one last reaction before death takes him.

******NCIS******

Traipsing through the park in less than pleasant weather is never fun and with the far less pleasant task ahead of processing the scene where his probie's wallet has been found, Tony finds himself very reluctant to get there. He is afraid what is waiting for him there will be the final blow. He knows there's no time to waste but that call from one of the agents with Ziva about shots being fired at the cabin, seriously rattled him. The earlier call from Abby about Tim possibly being the John Doe at the city morgue is making things seriously worse to the point he almost feels so sick at heart, he's ready to puke.

In reality, he can't stop wishing the boss would call with the good news that the John Doe is not Tim. _Please let us all wake up and this have been a dream! Please let me wake up. McGee doesn't deserve this! Why wasn't I a better friend? A big brother? Hell, I wasn't even there for him when Gibbs was! Gibbs! God, don't let anything happen to my team at that cabin!_

Frustrated and tired, Tony looks to the FBI Agent beside him, leading the way to where Tim's wallet was discovered. "How much further down this path? We've been hiking forever! Not to mention this is _miles_ away from where we were this morning. You sure we're even in the right place?"

With a sympathetic half smile, the agent reassures him. "Feels like it when you can't get where you're going fast enough, doesn't it? It isn't far. Wait! Earlier? The blood trail with NCIS written in it? You didn't see any clues as to how your guy was taken from there, right**?" **

"That's right." Tony admits grudgingly.

"Then you had no way of knowing how far of a perimeter to search. There's no _way_ you would have thought to extend it this far from the original scene. None of us would have. Here." The FBI Agent points to the wallet lying on the ground; open and obviously looked through. _Great, another messed up crime scene._

"Search the area for anything else. Bastard might have left more clues behind when he dumped this." Tony orders firmly, his own eyes searching the surrounding brush for anything sticking out. He frowns as his gut screams at him. Even as it unsettles him, he moves out the standard extension of fifty feet and sends his eyes around the area again. When he sees the edge of the rock area fall away, his heart stops. _No way! He couldn't be…!_

With his heart up in his throat, Tony steps over to the edge and looks down.

******NCIS******

As the smoke clears from the gunfire, the only casualty from the discharged weapon is the mirror on the wall that now lies shattered in pieces on the bedroom floor. Quickly looking to Martin, it's clear the man is dead, compliments of the knife sticking out of his chest. Seeing the man who caused so much pain, suffering and damage to the lives of people he cares about, brings up a rage in Gibbs that almost has him reaching out to kick the man until he feels better. But he knows that he cannot allow himself such an outlet.

There is still work to do and a crime scene to process. First there's a victim to take care of. Gibbs looks over at Mrs. McGee to make sure she's alright and breathes out a sigh of relief when he sees her standing there on her own two feet. She is breathing normally, apparently unhurt by this brutal ending to her ordeal.

"Ziva, get another ambulance out here and get her outta here!" He's quick to order as he stares now at the dead madman. "And tell those FBI Agents to get in here and get this room processed."

Even as Ziva wraps her arms around the mother of her deceased friend, she feels the poor woman's backbone stiffened with either shock or stubbornness. Either way, Megan McGee is not moving; her eyes are fixed on the man who's taken so much from her. While it is true her Sarah is alive and was not raped by this bastard, the fact remains that her little boy, her son, is gone now. Taken just as cruelly and violently from her as he had been given to her: her little boy, with both an inner core of steel and a beautiful heart hidden behind his somewhat lanky exterior

Without warning, Ziva finds herself rushing to catch Megan as the woman's knees give out and somehow she is able to get her to a chair before she hits the floor. Not unexpectedly, shock is setting in, demonstrated by the tremors that take over the body of the older woman.

*****NCIS******

_Probie!_ Tony's mind scrambles to believe what he's seeing, the beaten, crumpled form of his missing dead partner and little brother, lying silent and still in the barely visible culvert just off the almost invisible path in the very park where the team processed that desperate message for help yesterday. The earlier reminder that the two scenes were miles apart, did little to ease the wave of grief that threatened to overwhelm him now. _Tossed away like someone's trash! _The Senior Field Agent's blood boils. Tim McGee deserved so much more than this. _It just isn't right! _

_Broken rag doll. _The image floods his mind's eye even as his heart struggles with the realization staring him in the face. His probie is gone; killed senselessly amidst so much chaos and misinformation that there hasn't been a chance in hell of finding him sooner. Drawing in a ragged breath, the grieving agent scrambles to reach out through the mess of vines and prickly bush branches between himself and his probie, feeling a desperate need to get Tim out of there and back where he belongs, with his family.

With a concerted effort, he stops himself from going any closer. This is a crime scene first and foremost, in spite of the fact that the victim is one of their own. As with any other crime scene, it needs to be processed and they need to give it their absolute best. Tim deserves at least that much.

Pulling out his phone, Tony makes the call he's been dreading all night. "Hey, Ducky."

_"Anthony. I take it this means you have located Timothy." _

"Yeah. Rock Creek Park, follow the foot trail down towards the sheer drop at the overlook."

_"Oh dear God!"_ Ducky laments quietly.

"Yeah." Tony agrees as he ends the call; too overwhelmed with the senselessness of it all to form another coherent thought as his eyes remain locked on his fallen teammate, surrogate little brother and friend.

"Agent DiNozzo!" One of Fornell's agents hollers out from well over 40 yards away. "You might wanna see this!"

Crushed in spirit and more than exhausted, Tony shouts back "Just document and bag it, Richards!" as he steps aside back to call for the help he'll need. "Somebody get some evidence markers over here. Need the area sketched and photographed, too."

The imperious yet urgent tone in his voice instantly has three FBI Agents at his side, nearly tripping over each other and themselves to get to whatever it is the NCIS Agent has obviously found. "Don't touch him!" Tony barks stridently, praying no one dared cross him on that point.

Having been thoroughly briefed that Tony is running point on the search for his missing and presumed dead teammate, all FBI Agents assigned to assist in the search are well aware that they are expected to answer to Tony and are to do so without question or prejudice. Nor are they to argue with him or give him any grief. Fornell has been formidable in his orders and when he gets like that, no one dares even consider going against his orders. Besides, they are all ready to do whatever 's necessary to recover the slain NCIS Agent.

"Don't worry, we got this." Vows one of Fornell's lead agents as he turns to begin processing the scene.

"Take phones and sketch the scene. And don't forget to bag and tag everything around him." Tony orders, his tone unchanged. "Anyone touches the body will be answering to Ducky when he gets here. And when he gets through with you, Gibbs will be right behind him. Not to mention Ziva. And Abby."

In the rapidly approaching darkness of nightfall, there is no time to lose. Soon the 50 square yards encompassing the area where Tim's body lay is a mass of moving, scene processing FBI Agents that resembles a swarm of worker bees around the hive as they hustles to do this right, while they can still see what they're doing.

The arrival of the Autopsy van brings it home for Tony and his knees nearly give out as his heart comes up in his throat, choking him, when his eyes met Ducky's.

Instantly, the older man's arms are supporting him as together they walk to the back of the van. "Easy, Anthony. You've done your job in finding our dear Timothy. Now you need to allow Mr. Palmer and me to do ours in getting him back home in our midst where he belongs. The very least he deserves is to be laid to rest in peace and with the utmost dignity."

Turning, the M.E. now head towards the ravine, following Jimmy, who has already gone ahead. Now that his attention is on the task to be handled, he notices his Assistant has yet to go all the way into the ravine. Jimmy is standing in place, likely dealing with the rush of emotions this most painful of tasks has brought out in him.

"Come, Mr. Palmer. It's time to take our dear friend home." Ducky urges as he gestures for the younger man to precede him.

Watching the two Medical Professionals go into the bushes to retrieve Tim, Tony feels lost, lost for words, lost in direction. There is nothing that will ease this pain. He can't even see straight, his eyes blinded by tears he fights to hold back. This isn't right. It isn't fair. Tim, of all people, does not deserve to be taken out like this! Hell none of what any of his family has been through is fair.

Raggedly exhaling, Tony fights to pull himself together. He has another call to make, this one much more painful than the last. Punching the speed dial button, he impatiently waits for the call to go through.

_"You found him."_ The extra quiet tone from the boss, as well as the expectation that Tony has only one reason for calling the man, speaks volumes of how badly this is affecting the Team Leader.

"I'm sorry, Boss. I didn't find him in time to save him. Ducky and Jimmy are on the sce…"

"ANTHONY!" Ducky's exclamation rings out across the distance between them.

_"What's wrong, DiNozzo?"_

"Besides the whole Probie getting' killed, ya mean? And the fact that you're way too quiet? I dunno. Hold on and I'll find out." Holding the phone away from his face enough that he wouldn't blow out the boss's eardrums, Tony hollers back while he quickly closes the distance between them. "What is it, Ducky? Who is Palmer calling?"

"That's right, lights, sirens, whatever it takes to get you here STAT!" Palmer closes his phone and drops it into his shirt pocket before dropping back down beside Tim's body. "Ambulance should be here within 5 minutes, Doctor."

"Ambulance?"" Tony asks in shocked bewilderment.

**_"DUCKY!"_** Gibbs voice barks across the phone line.

"Stay with him, Mr. Palmer. Don't take your eyes off his breathing rhythm." Ducky orders as he standsto his feet and strides the few feet remaining between himself and Tony. Taking the phone from the shocked agent, he speaks to him with a quiet relief. "Timothy's alive, Tony. Just barely, but alive nonetheless. Go to him. Be there for him now and let him know he's been found by his family and that he's safe now."

Lifting the phone to his mouth, Ducky relays the miraculous news to the people who next need to hear it most as he watches the Senior Field Agent waste no more time getting to his injured teammate.

"Jethro. Timothy's alive. We always knew he was a fighter and it would seem he has not lost that ability. However, I must say, I cannot make any promises as to his chances of surviving what's been done to him. His body is badly bruised and battered. It appears his left shoulder has been separated. His right knee is also resting at an abnormally painfully looking angle. All of this is in addition to the nasty gun shot wound we already knew about."

_"He's alive?"_

"Yes. But as I've just stated. I can make no promises."

_"Well I can."_

"Jethro, I know you and your tea…"

_"Ducky! He doesn't have my permission to let go. You tell him I said so!"_

Without taking his eyes of Tim's still, barely breathing body, Tony reached a hand back towards Ducky. "Ducky, let me talk to Gibbs."

Without argument or wasted time, the M.E. hands the phone back to the younger man.

"Boss, He needs to hear it straight from you." Tony quietly tells him.

_"DiNozzo."_ Gibbs growls at the impracticality of such expectations. He can't be in two places at once and he isn't happy that he can't be there for his gravely injured agent now. Tony's words are just twisting that knife.

"Boss, if he doesn't hear it from you, I don't think he'll hold on. I don't think he'll make it." Hitting the phone's speaker button, Tony crouches back down beside Tim and speaks to him. "Hey, Probie, we're here for you, buddy. Even Bossman's here with you, well as much as he can be.

**_McGee, you hold on. You hear me? You don't have permission to let go."_** Gibbs' loud voice reaches out firmly though the phone line.

_"Tim, Honey. It's Mom. Please hang on. We all love you. Don't leave us. I know you're hurting but you can do this!" _Mrs. McGee's pain filled request comes over the line on the heels of Gibbs' order and as if Tony has been right, Tim's breathing immediately seems to improve, just enough to be noticeable.

"Well, I'll be." One of the forgotten FBI Agents marvels; reminding the NCIS team of their presence. Still, all attention remains fixed on the injured man.

"Thatta boy, Probie. Your breathin' just got easier, didn't it?" Tony croons to him, his attention once again focused on his friend, oblivious to his audience.

**_"Ducky?"_**

Silently, Ducky takes the phone back and steps away from the two guardians of the injured. "As Anthony told you, Jethro, Timothy needed to hear it from you. And hear you both, he has! The medics are close by. We'll get him to Bethesda."

_"Meet ya there, Duck."_

**_****NCIS****_**

Vaguely she notices Gibbs in her peripheral vision as the NCIS Team Leader puts his phone away and quickly covers the now thankfully deceased monster with the blanket off the bed. This time, Megan makes no effort to stop the emotions from escaping as tears of relief fill her eyes and begin to make trails down her cheeks. She isn't even surprised to find that her knees can't hold her as she quickly lowers herself to the chair closest to her,

Her mind overloaded with the emotional rollercoaster still in full throttle so that nothing else seems to register. All she knows is that her knees won't stop knocking and the same thought keeps screaming in her mind,_ My boy's alive! Oh, Thank God!_


	15. Chapter 14

Unable to ride in the ambulance with his teammate, Tony rides shotgun while the much calmer M.E. drives them to the hospital as quickly as he can safely get them there. Jimmy was so relieved to be going back empty-handed, he had jumped at the chance to return the NCIS Autopsy van to the Navy Yard, promising to pick up Abby and bring her with him to the hospital. That left nothing left for Tony to do but hope and pray along the way.

Tony's mind screams at him to call Abby already. He balks at that idea, knowing the Lab Rat will take the news better in person. Frowning, the Senior Field Agent realizes he does need to update the Director. Immediately on the heels of that thought comes the anger filled reminder that she set this all in motion in the first place. She had rushed to get Tim's family to D.C. for a reunion with the Agent she'd been just as quick to order home. And that rush, without regard to confirmation of the safety of the McGee women or her agent, has led to a nearly absolute tragedy, not to mention injuries and unnecessary trauma to both Tim and his sister.

Suddenly filled with fresh outrage, Tony no longer sees the need to be the one to update her on the situation. Knowing he willbe besieged by chaos when they get to the hospital, he relaxes for the little time he has left before theyarrive.

The twenty- minute ride is done in ten, unusual for Ducky, however they have been the quietest ten minutes Tony can ever remember spending with the normally chatty man. Finally arriving at the hospital, Ducky parks the car and the two of them hurry inside, both silently praying there will be good news waiting for them.

*****NCIS******

After four hours, countless cups of coffee, innumerable shuffling pairs of feet, and an endless sea of faces, Ducky is finally returning from the world beyond the Emergency Room Operating Room doors. His intent is clear as he purposefully walks straight to Megan McGee, herself clad in hospital scrubs Ziva had somehow managed to rustle up for her. Having refused to be admitted for what she called 'bumps and bruises", the McGee matriarch had stoically joined the team's vigil two hours ago, once Sarah had completely succumbed to the pain relief and sleep aidshe'd been given. She'll be staying in the hospital overnightfor observation and complete rest.

As Ducky approaches Tim's mother, she stands, gently withdrawing from the comfort that has been Abby's relentlessly supportive arm around her shoulder. Knowing how much this younger woman means to her son, Megan has been loathe to upset her any more than this horrible ordeal already has.

Before she can stop the words she doesn't want to hear the answerto, they escape her lips. "Is he…?"

Taking her hand, the M.E. smiles softlyas he answers her. "Timothy has made it through the necessary surgery to repair the damage to his knee and shoulder. His other wounds, including the bullet wound, which thankfully was a through and through, have been cleanedand treated; he is being settled into a room as we speak."

Sighs of relief are heard all over the room but Ducky isn't done with his update and while his eyes remain on Tim's mother, his tone carriesquite deliberately to the group as a whole.

"He will recover, though it will take time and plenty of support and assistance from those Timothy depends on most."

"Not sure who you're referring to, never asks any of us for any help." Tony reminds him sadly.

"Be that as it may, Anthony, he will need it and he will need more of it and more often than he will readily admit."

"I need to see him." Megan McGee asserts firmly.

Ducky nods. "That has already been seen to, as has the understanding that one of us will be staying with him through the night."

"Thank you, Doctor Mallard." Megan replies, her appreciation in her eyes.

"No need to thank me, my dear. None of us would even consider leaving that dear young man alone after the ordeal he has just suffered. Come. I'll take you to his room."

Megan McGee nods as she walks with him toward the door. Stopping just a few feet further on, she turns and looks back at her son's Team Leader and role model. The man who had saved her and her daughter from the hell that had come down on them. Despite her taking the life of her attempted rapist, the NCIS Team Leader has had nothing but kind, comforting words to say to her and her daughter. For that, she can never thank him enough. "Thank you." Casting her eyes around the group, she enlarges her audience. "Thank you all."

Walking back to them, she stops in front of Tony and embraces him as a mother would a son. "This has been hardest on you, Agent DiNozzo. Tim would be devastated to know just how much pain and suffering this has caused you. Thank you for all that you did to find him, even when you thought he was dead. I hope you know that Tim's proud to have you for a big brother. I agree with him."

Turning her attention to the rest of them in turn, she embraces them briefly as she speaks to them as a group. "He loves you all and thinks of all of you as family. Now I know thatdespite his feelings to the contrary, it _does_ go both ways,"

As soon as Tim's mother had hugged her and moved on to hug Jimmy, Abby heads for Ducky. "I need to see him, too, Duck Man."

"Not this evening, I'm afraid. His body is in dire need of absolute rest after all he's been through today. Additionally, the doctors want to minimize his risk of infection which would greatly hinder his recovery." The M.E. replies solemnly.

"We can't even see him; from out in the hallway? I really need to see that he's alive and okay, Ducky." Abby pushes, tears in her eyes at the thought of having to go any longer without seeing "her Timmy".

For once, Gibbs says nothing, letting Ducky read into his silence as he knows the older man will.

Exchanging knowing looks with the Team Leader, Ducky turns to Megan. "It is strictly your decision, Mrs. McGee."

Megan frowns at the thought of her son's team of friends, who obviously care a great deal about him, not being able to see for themselves that he's alive and breathing after the ordeal he's just been through. After the day they've all had, letting them have this seems like such a small gift to give them.

"Please don't wake him." She replies finally, a tiny smile of encouragement on her face as she looks over the group and allows her mothering instincts to take over; even exchanging understanding looks with the Team Leader.

"You must wear appropriate protective garments, breathing masks and gowns, to minimize the risk to Timothy." Ducky inserts firmly.

Once strict instructions had been left with the nurses watching over her daughter, for her to be notified if Sarah awakens before she returned, Gibbs and Megan McGee also head to Tim's room, trailing slightly behind the rest of the group.

******NCIS******

Once the group sees that Tim is alive and being well cared for, ittakes nearly an hour and countless promises that they will be informed if anythingin Tim's condition changes before Tony, Ziva and Abby agree to go homefor some much needed sleep. Even Gibbs and Ducky are reluctant to leave the young man's bedside. Eventually, even the M.E. admits to the need for rest, but not before Gibbs threatens to have Tony come back and drive him home. Even then, the elderly man is loathe to allow the Team Leaderto remain behind.

"Jethro, you are just as much in need of rest as the rest of us since you have been going non-stop from the moment you became aware of that bastard's escape." Ducky complains.

"Not leaving him, Duck. I'll be fine."

"I'll make sure he gets some sleep, Doctor Mallard." Megan McGee promises quietly.

"Very well then. I do hope youwon't force me to take drastic measures tomorrow, my friend. Timothy's recovery will not happen overnight. There is no need to spread yourselftoo thinthis early in his recovery. Thatwill do neither of you any good."

"You know me, Duck. I'll sleep. Now go."

Nodding his head tiredly, the M.E. turns and heads out with one last "Goodnight, my dear," addressed to Megan.

No sooner has Ducky gone than Megan turns to her son's team leader."You really should get some sleep, Agent Gibbs. I'll wake you if he stirs. I think we both know he won't wake up completely tonight."

Gibbs nods. "Need to tell him something first." Heading straight to Tim's bed, he stops close to his head. Putting a supportive hand on the injured agent's shoulder, just firmly enough that Tim should feel it, the Team Leader speaks to him. "We're here for you, Tim. You've done good. Real good.I'm proud of you. Now you have to keephanging in there and fight. You hear me? You get better, we need you."

With parental tendencies he can'tdeny, Gibbs gently sweeps Tim's hair back from his eyes, applies just a little more pressure to his reassuring hand and withdraws, leaving the young manin his mother's care.

Megan smiles in appreciation for the genuine reactions coming from Gibbs. This is not the man she had expected, the one her sonhad described back when they talked about it before Christmas, as distant and uninterested in whether Tim needed him. This Gibbs, showing his affection for Tim, is not the man her son believes does not care anything about him except his tech skills.

*****NCIS******

_Time has no meaning as the endless loop of memories mix with intermittent moments of physical agony and mental confusion. These areinterspersed with the briefest moments when an actual human face looms in front of unfocused eyes and his medicated mind tries to recollect the name that goes with that face. To make matters more confusing, the names keep changing, Abby, Ducky, Tony, Ziva, Palmer and even Gibbs. Wait was that Mom I just saw? Or is it the faces that are changing?_

_The only problem with trying to keep up is the ever-present need to sleep. Exhaustion so deep, he can't seem to rid himself of it. Even when he can finally open his eyes, exhaustion is quick to pull him back under, taking him back to that cloud of nothingness that is also, thankfully, lined with painlessness, time and time again..._

He realizes he's actually awake enough to think coherently, but regretfully, the endless questions won't stop flooding his mind. _Where is he? What happened? Why is everything so white? Why is it so quiet? Is he dead? Wait, the quiet is fading and now all I hear is noise! Hmm. At least I'm still not feeling that god awfulagony! Why won't my eyes focus? Uh oh, that blob of color beside me just moved!_

"Hey, Baby. Welcome back." Tim's mother croons to her son softly, her heart jumping for joy at the sight of those green orbs looking at her for the first time in what seems like forever.

_Mom! _Tim relaxes under her caress at his brow. Stubbornly, he forces himself to try to speak to her, his voice raspy and exhausted. "...om?"

As her son's free hand barely moves but with obvious direction towards her own, Megan picks his hand up, cradling it in her own as she begins to stroke it soothingly with the pad of her thumb. "I'm here, Honey. Get some rest." She's quick to encourage him as she sweeps the hair back off his ear.

Almost as if on command, Tim's eyes close and he welcomes the darkness that swoops in and takes him away once more, his free hand still held in his mother's, filling him with the feeling of safety and peace.

Megan McGee finally feels like she can breathe again. It's nearly two in the morning and it's been a long night. Seeing her normally strong, confidant, happy baby boy now lying weak and helpless in a hospital bed, ghostly white, deadly still and seriously hurt, had taken what was left of her equilibrium, to say the least. Until, that is, he opened his eyes and looked at her. The shot in the arm had been hearing him say her name.

_Oh, she'd believed Gibbs when he'd said Tim was strong and would come back from this fighting. She just needed to see those beautiful green eyes of Tim's looking at her before the vice-grip on her heart lessened enough for her to breathe easy again_.

_To have both of her children endure so much at the hands of that monster, who had taken so much in such a violent way, all those years ago, inadvertently giving her Tim…_

Megan shoots to her feet, unwilling to keep thinking on that vein as her feet take her in around the room in a repetition born of stress. After a short minute, she looks over at Gibbs, presumably resting and she finds herself smiling. Bless the man, leaving her in peace to work through her troubled thoughts she can't seem to sort out, let alone give voice to.

"They're alive." Gibbs' quiet voice startles her from her reverie, stilling her pacing where they're close enough to talk quietly without disturbing the patient. "They're both gonna be fine."

Megan nods. "I know and I'm grateful…" Leaving the rest of the sentence hanging, she takes a brief moment to look closely at this man her son trusts with his life; apparently with good reason, as she remembers she and Tim talked about it a while back.

Blinking, Megan returns to the here and now before her mind travels down that memory filled road any further and offers Gibbs her thanks. "None of us would still be alive if it weren't for you and Tim's teammates."

"Wouldn't have been at risk in the first place if we hadn't messed up." Gibbs counters with his own apology.

"We both know that blame is on me, Jethro." Tobias Fornell offers from the doorway.

Getting to his feet, Gibbs is at the door almost immediately, his expression dark and angry. "What the hell are you doin' here, Tobias?"

At his friend's growl, the FBI Agent backs up a step before he answers. "Wanted to see for myself that the kid's alright."

Propelling Fornell back out of the room even further, Gibbs closes the door, vaguely aware that Megan McGee is standing at his elbow, intent on hearing every wordsince it concerns her son.

"Alright?" Gibbs turns back toward the room, he points in that direction. "You call his mother and sister damned near being that bastard's next victims and his mother having to gut him like a fish in self-defense, alright?"

"Jethro, I…"

"PLEASE. Tell me what this is about!" Megan intervenes. "Over coffee. Let's talk about this over some coffee and maybe a bite to eat."

Squaring off, both men take calming breaths and pull themselves together while Megan talks with the nurse at the nurse's station to ensure they'll be notified of any change with Tim. Thankfully, the monitors there also include video, so they'll know when he awakens and will be there for him.

"Hey, Boss. How's McGee?" Tony appears almost out of thin air.

"Sleepin. Need you to stay with him, DiNozzo. But you're goin' back home to sleep when I get back."

"Boss, I'm good. I swear I slept." Tony is quick to reassure him.

Gibbs nods before turning back to Tim's mother and Fornell. Together, they head for coffee. As they near the elevator, Ziva appears, also looking partially rested and just as determined as Tony to sit with Tim.

Without saying a word, Gibbs hits the button for the elevator and the car arrives for them, opening up as Megan McGee finally speaks to the situation she's trying to understand. "Okay. Please tell me that what this is about since it concerns my son."

As the elevator doors close, taking the three older people away, Tony frowns. "Oh boy. That's not gonna end well."

"She's a mother, Tony." Ziva reminds him. "It is almost instinctual to want to resolve conflicts."

"I sure hope you're right on that one, Ziva." Tony offers. "I'm not too sure all threeof them are gonna make it back here."

"Tony. She will understand the position Fornell was in, just as Gibbs did."

"Yeah? That why the boss is pissed right about now?"

"It has been a very long day for him and he is tired. I am certain he will calm down soon enough."

"Yeah, you're probably right. C'mon, let's go keep Tim company." Tony leads the way, thankful he came back when he did.

*****NCIS******

Maybe it's having to settle for vending machine coffee at nearly 3 AM, or maybe it's the topic of their quiet conversation as Tobias Fornell, his voice low and full of remorse, explains to Megan McGee, exactly what took place that led up to her and her daughter being captured by Martin; but something soon has the NCIS Team Leader looking as though the full weight of responsibility for it all, is sitting squarely on his shoulders. Tobias knows that look and he is quick to try to appease his friend's conscience.

"Jethro, none of this is your fault."

"That's where you're wrong Tobias. I made the call to bring Tim back when I did. "

"Thought you said Jenny made that decision?"

"She made the decision; I picked up the phone and made the call; never double-checked."

"Only reason you'd be feeling responsible for that is if your gut told you something wasn't right and you ignored it."

"Broke my own rule; told myself you were just tired; that you sounded off for a good reason." Gibbs explains where his gut tried to set him straight.

"Agent Gibbs." Megan McGee finally speaks for the first time since hearing the entire story. "Even if you had waited to bring my son home, Sarah and I still would have been taken."

"Tim would have been safe, not fighting for his life and recovering from a gunshot wound."

"Laying all this guilt on yourself now won't help Tim and it certainly won't help you. As your Doctor Mallard said, my son will need all of us to help him get better. The 'you' I saw in his hospital room is the 'you' he's going to need; not this one." She points out ruthlessly.

"I know." Gibbs replies quietly as he goes silent, pulling himself together. It's rare for him to admit such guilt but the rehashing of the entire nightmare of events had tripped him up, reminding him that he'd been so busy blaming Jenny for the way it turned out, that he'd forgotten his own very costly mistake. He was the reason his agent had been caught in the crossfire of this nightmare and almost died. _How is he supposed to live with himself, knowing that?_

"As for what happened, Mr. Fornell, I'm a mother. I can_ not _imagine what it felt like to be in that position that bastard put your poor daughter in. I'm terribly sorry you had to go through that. I certainly don't hold you responsible for doing what you had to, to keep your daughter safe."

"Thank you." Tobias is humbled by the woman's forgiveness.

"Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs can only look back at her, waiting for her to say what's on her mind.

His agent's mother gets to her feet, "You thought you were doing the right thing and you did everything you could to find Tim _and_ us. In fact, you saved Sarah and I and I hope we can all leave the guilt right here. You and I both know my son well enough to know that he will have his own guilt to deal with and if we have any hope of helping him, we can't be carrying any of this around with us. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my children."

Without a backward glance, Megan strides down the hall toward the elevator, leaving Gibbs and Fornell scrambling to catch up with her.

*****NCIS*****

"Do you see that, Tony?" Ziva asks as she keeps her eyes on their injured teammate, sleeping the deep sleep that can only be medically induced.

"See what, Ziva?" Tony closes Tim's chart and puts it back in its place at the end of his bed. He joins her on the side of the bed without any wires or machinery and looks in the direction she's looking.

"There! That change in his breathing. Did you see that? Even as he sleeps, he is uncomfortable unless he hears your voice."

"Yeah, right." Tony is doubtful.

"Regardless of whether or not you believe it, I know what I saw. Perhaps it will be better if I go check on Sarah."

"That's actually a pretty good idea, Da'vid." Tony offers as he takes a seat in the chair by the bed. "I'm sure there's a pretty good chance, her sleep's not near as peaceful as Probie's here."

"After what she has been through, that is almost a certainty, Tony." Ziva agrees as she heads out. "Call me if anything changes with McGee."

"Count on it." Tony promises.

The sudden and absolute quiet, interrupted only by the machines monitoring his friend, hits Tony like a ton of bricks as he reaches out to smooth a wrinkle in the blanket at Tim's chest. "You look like hell, Probie. Need to get you taken care of so you'd better do all the sleepin' you need to, alright?"

With no change in Tim's breathing, as if he hasn't heard him at all, Tony keeps talking, suddenly driven to speak his mind, "You scared the hell outta me, Tim. Don't ever do that again. I can't take going through that again. Not sure anyone could. I mean who can handle thinking your best friend's been killed that way, right?"

A shudder runs itself up Tony's spine and he closes his eyes against the wave of emotions that threatens to overwhelm him. Before now, he has had no time to give in and let himself feel or react to any of this mess; at least not long enough to consider it dealt with. Now, the relief is so great it literally brings tears to his eyes.

*****NCIS*****

The sound of a choked sob pulls him from the depths of oblivion, casting him adrift into partial consciousness as his eyes attempt to focus in the dimly lit room. He feels the presence of someone else in the room, his body instinctively stiffening in self-defense before his eyes even finish sweeping the room with the help of the lamp just beyond the machines he's hooked up to.

It's the sight of Tony sitting beside his bed, his face wet and his eyes closed, that brings Tim to full wakefulness. His heart hurts for this side of Tony and he longs to find out what has caused it, but can't muster up the strength to ask. Before he can stop it, the emptiness of that black void sweeps him away again, stealing the chance for him to let Tony know he's not alone in whatever's going on.

*****NCIS******

In silence borne of the difficult conversation they've just made it through, Gibbs, Fornell and Megan McGee traipse through the hallways of the hospital on their way back to Sarah and Tim. Without need for conversation, they stop off at Sarah's room first, surprised to find Ziva keeping her company.

"Ziva?" Gibbs asks as he looks at his agent carefully.

"Tony is with McGee." Ziva explains. "I felt that Sarah should not be alone."

"Thank you." Megan offers with genuine appreciation.

"I will go now."

"You don't have to rush off." Megan McGee reassures her.

"I need to get some coffee." Ziva deflects as she makes her escape.

Immediately, Gibbs turns to follow Ziva, needing to make sure she's all right. "Ziva, talk to me."

"I am fine, Gibbs. I am not the one who has been shot or even tied up and made to watch as my mother is almost raped before my eyes."

The anger in her tone does not surprise him, but still Gibbs treads carefully. "That what's really bothering you?"

She huffs out a breath before looking over at him and admits the truth. "Not entirely." She understands that he's offering to hear what she has to say, but she's not ready for that kind of vulnerability. It's been a very rough day and she needs to decompress more than she needs to talk about it. "I will be fine, Gibbs."

He knows her and he knows she won't talk if she's not ready, no matter how many times she's reminded that she's not alone in whatever it is she's going through. With a nod of understanding, he gives her the space she's asking for. "Okay. You call me if you need anything."

A small smile of acceptance is the only answer she gives before she turns and heads toward the door that leads out to the main entrance.

"Ziva?"

"Yes, Gibbs?" She turns back to see what he needs from her now.

"Thought you came here to see McGee."

"I did. And I have seen him. I have spoken to him as well, though he remains asleep."

He hears what she's not saying and doesn't push her. "Okay."

Another silent nod of understanding between them and she's gone. With a frown, he turns and heads back to check on the McGee women, finding Mrs. McGee sitting on the bed, her daughter drawn up to her chest, as she holds her wrapped in her arms while they both sleep.

Gibbs feels the moisture behind his eyelids as he sees the two women, in such starkly different circumstances than the one he'd found them in earlier in the day when their lives had still been in danger. He's quick to blink rapidly until the emotions are back under lock and key. Things could have turned out so differently - very tragically. They were all extremely lucky they hadn't.

Silently, he heads to his agent's room, leaving the women to sleep since he knows that Mrs. McGee trusts him to be there for Tim while she looks after Sarah. He double-times it back to Tim's room, his Senior Field Agent's not so meaningless rambling catching his attention before he even clears the doorway.

"…me, cryin' like a baby. Guess it's a good thing you _are_ asleep, Probie. We both know you'd never let me live this down. Who am I kidding? I wouldn't care if you aggravated the hell outta me for it, so long as you come back to us, Probie. You hear me?" Tony winds down his nervous rambling, running a hand through his hair before standing back up and putting his hand on Tim's uninjured shoulder. "Care about you, man. Don't you leave me."

Feeling the presence of someone else in the room, Tony looks around to find his boss slowly walking towards him. "Oh, hey, Boss. Listen, I don't know how much you heard just now, bu…"

"How's he doing?" Gibbs deflects Tony nervousness, unwilling to embarrass him further or tread on personal territory.

"Sleepin' like the dea…" Tony's words freeze and he mentally head slaps himself.

"Good. It's what he needs." Gibbs again, keeps things moving away from all that is obviously tripping Tony up. "Go take a break."

"No, Boss, I'm good."

"Tony." The Team Leader's voice is low and compassionate, leaving Tony feeling drawn to the support he's feeling from him. "Stop trying so hard not to be human."

"Boss, I'm no…"

"Nothing wrong with feeling this, Tony. I'df be worried if you weren't."

Tony nods even as he sighs deeply. He knows there's nothing wrong with feeling the emotions that flow through you in times like these, but it's another thing entirely to allow yourself to let them out; to express them the way he'd just done. It isn't something he's used to doing, at least not in front of anyone, much less his boss!

"Damn near lost him." Gibbs voices his own regret in hopes of letting Tony see that it really is okay to let it out, to bring him back around to what matters most.

In a strange twist of role reversal, it is Tony who reminds them both of what it is they need to focus on. "But we didn't. He won't give up fighting now. He knows we'll both kick his ass if he even thinks about doing it."

"Hang on to that." Gibbs returns, leveling his Senior Field Agent with the look that says _'this' is what counts; _what they should be concentrating on_._

"I know, Boss." Tony replies quietly. "Why don't you go home; get some sleep. I've got this."

Gibbs shakes his head. "Not yet."

Even as he says this, the Team Leader moves to the corner of the room where he had previously caught a cat nap and gets as comfortable as he can. He makes it obvious he is leaving Tony to do the heavy lifting with Tim if the need arises.

With a smirk, Tony takes his seat by Tim's bed, his eyes locking on the younger man as he prepares to settle in for the rest of the night, knowing there's no where else he'd rather be.


	16. Chapter 15

Megan McGee is torn. She had had a very restless and difficult four hours as Sarah battled her nightmares, preventing either of them from getting any deep restorative sleep. The exhausted and emotionally battered mother is awake and trying to figure out what to do about the only problem on her mind. Both her children need her right now but only one is well enough to be checked out of the hospital, having spent the night only for observation and rest. She cannot be in two places at once and already her heart is hurting that she has not been able to check on Tim for hours. In the shape her daughter's in, she had not wanted to leave her alone.

Her mind is churning with countless concerns on behalf of both of her children. Sarah may not be the physically injured child, but there's no doubt in Megan's mind that her daughter's mental state is in dire need of strong support. Megan is adamantly unwilling to even foster the idea of letting Sarah be alone right now. Her daughter needs her.

Tim also needs her, though his needs are obviously the physically healing ones. She knows the difference does not equate to his needing less of her, only that it shifts the focus to his doctors and medications more than in Sarah's case. In short, she is needed by both of her children but can only attend to one of them at a time since they are on different floors of the hospital.

And while Tim's team is obviously more than capable and willing to bridge the gap with him for her, it's not the same as having his mother available when he needs her. If Sarah can be persuaded to stay at least one more night in the hospital where she can let her body and mind rest more, then Megan will have more time to figure something out in terms of what she'll need to do once Sarah is allowed to go home**. **There's no doubt that Tim's hospitalization will be longer than Sarah's, but no other alternative is springing to mind. Almost absently, her fingers soothe her little girl's hair back away from her face. Now that her thought process has slowed, Megan's brain registers a new problem. Sarah is running a fever.

Easing herself from behind her daughter, Megan carefully soothes her back to sleep before stepping out into the hallway to talk to the doctor, closing the door to Sarah's room behind her. During her discussion with her daughter's doctor, she's told her instincts are right, though no other complication has manifested in her daughter's physical recovery. As best as can be determined, the fever has been brought on by stress and delayed shock.

As breakfast carts make their way noisily onto the floor, Megan breathes a sigh of relief. Food means the ability to give Sarah fever reducing meds that much sooner. With a purposeful lift to her posture, Megan returns to her daughter's room and wakes her. She promises herself she'll go check on Tim as soon as things with Sarah are sorted.

*****NCIS******

Tony stretches his tired achy back after sitting by Tim's bed for the past several hours. It doesn't matter that the patient has slept peacefully through without waking; in fact, that's a good sign as far as the Senior Field Agent is concerned. Glancing over at the boss, Tony frowns.

The man really needs to get some real sleep. Almost as if reading the younger man's mind, Gibbs opens his eyes and is soon doing his own stretching and waking up. In silent communication, Tony shakes his head to announce there's no change in their patient while Gibbs lifts his coffee cup to signal his intended destination as he heads out, closing the door behind him.

"Good morning, Jethro." Ducky quietly greets his friend as they cross paths in the hallway. "I do hope this means you're heading home for some real rest?"

Gibbs sighs. Ducky has a point and Tim's in good hands. "Yeah, Duck. He slept through the night. Call me if anything changes."

"Of course." Ducky intones as he watches Gibbs like a hawk, to be certain the younger man does in fact head out. With a rueful small smile, the M.E. shakes his head before turning and heading to the nurse's station for an update on their patient.

*****NCIS*****

Megan frowns at her daughter's listless silence. Breakfast seems to be a chore for the younger woman who looks as though she's still seriously sleep deprived and haunted. It brings sorrow to her mother's heart to see the lingering effects of their ordeal in her daughter's eyes and it's all she can do to hold her silence. She respects her daughter's need to talk or keep silent. Thankfully, the younger woman is at least trying to eat.

It's impossible to miss the jumpiness and tremors that are holding Sarah hostage even as she remains deathly silent and eerily focused on eating. Every noise from outside her door brings yet another physical flinch to her small frame and it's all Megan can do not to sweep away the breakfast tray and wrap her in her arms to hold her safe and secure.

******NCIS****  
**  
Waking is still a chore and one that continues to bring with it at least some degree of disorientation and blurred vision. This time Tim allows himself to take it slow, beginning with his eyes. Blinking them repeatedly, he waits until the blurriness is gone, only to find the room awash in the bright light of the beautiful day outside.

Tim groans in agony and weakly turns his head away from the beam of light where it fills the gap between the curtains in his window, sharpening the edge of pain behind his eyes to a razor point. Adding insult to injury, he can't stop the hiss of pain that escapes him as the bandage at the site of his gunshot wound pulls painfully with his instinctual move to turn away. That, coupled with the returning pain from his knee and shoulder, turns the hiss of pain into a wave of agony that engulfs him.

Almost instantly, a comforting hand squeezes his good shoulder as a calm and sympathetic voice speaks near his ear. "Easy, McGoo. Don't make any sudden moves and it won't hurt so much."

Surprise fills him as the voice registers on his memory. _Tony._ Finding his voice despite the effort it takes to focus on anything beyond his physical state, he tries to use it. "To…Tony?"

"Yeah, Buddy. I'm right here." Tony's calm tone remains unchanged. "Can you look at me; lemme see how you're doin'?"

"Too bright." Tim admits tiredly as that pesky exhaustion comes back on him before he can even attempt to open his eyes.

"Lemme fix that for you, alright? Give me a sec."

As the light in the room lessens sharply, Tim begins to breathe easier as the pain behind his eyes dissipates in conjunction with the reduced light. "Th…nks." Tim murmurs as he attempts to handle the pain by balling his fists, though in his weakened state even that does little to help.

Seeing the obvious signs that his friend is in serious pain, Tony hits the call button for the nurse. "Hang on, Tim. We'll get the nurse to help ease that pain, alright?"

Tim can't even find the strength to answer his friend and is surprised when Tony's hand finds his own, actually uncurling his fingers for him.

"Go ahead, squeeze. I know it'll help."

Tim has no strength to grip the offered hand and finds himself surprised yet again when Tony does the gripping for him, giving him that physical anchor he desperately needs.

Now the door to Tim's room is opening and the nurse is bustling in. "So, our patient's awake, is he?"

"Just barely." Tony corrects her. "And in a hell of a lot of pain."

"Oh, I understand. Not to worry, we'll get him fixed up quickly." As she reassures Tony, her hands are busy replacing the fluids in Tim's IVs and pushing buttons."There ya go, sweetie. The pain should be leaving again now. Let me look at you so I can tell the doctor how you're doing, alright? Can you look at me?"

Tim looks her way but frowns when he realizes he can't clearly focus on her.

"Don't worry about anything, sweetie. You're doing just fine."

"Than….ou.."Tim manages as his eyes begin to slide closed

"One more thing for me, sweetie. Tell me your name. We want to check on your cognitive level."

"Tim….Mc…Gee."

"That's great. Alright, sweetie, go on back to sleep. Don't you worry about a thing, alright?"

The cheerful nurse fusses with Tim's bedding, making sure he's warm before she smiles at Tony. "I think it's great what you're doing; staying with him all night. Not many people would do that."

"They would for Tim." Tony corrects her.

"Ah. He's one of those kinds of people, huh?"

" best." Tony reflects almost to himself, his eyes locked on Tim's even though his friend's eyes remain closed.

"And a Federal Agent to boot. It does my heart good to know we have good people like the two of you out there protecting us like you guys do." She smiles at him again as she heads to the door. "I'm surprised he slept through the breakfast carts making noise and I see he hasn't been awake enough to eat. I'll let the doctor know. He should be here to check on him in about an hour."

"Thanks." Tony offers her quietly as he hears her footsteps fade away, obviously walking back to the nurse's station, before he speaks. "The pain gone now, Buddy?"

Tim opens his eyes in Tony's direction as he nods tiredly, his eyes closing against his will. "S…rry… so…ti…red…"

"Don't worry about it, McGee. Sleep is good." Tony offers him congenially. "I'm just glad you're not feelin' anything now."

Barely able to nod; Tim's asleep almost immediately, his breathing even and steady; a sound Tony is only too happy to hear.

*****NCIS*******  
**

Relief is a good feeling when, less than thirty minutes later Sarah has finished her breakfast and allowed her doctor to give her a going over. Surprisingly enough, the patient has given no comment or argument when told by the medical professional that she needs to stay until her fever has gone to ensure there are no other underlying problems. In fact, when the doctor relayed to Sarah that the stress of what she has just been through has manifested itself in the fever, the young woman's only reaction was to close her eyes and take deliberately measured breaths.

Megan had feared that the doctor's pronouncement had set Sarah's psyche into some sort of breakdown. However, that fear had been short-lived when the next thing Sarah did was to open her eyes, nod her head in agreement before laying back against her pillows as listlessly as earlier, closing her eyes once more.

Sarah sighs internally. It's too much to deal with, to worry about. In fact, now that she's forced herself to eat and heard what the doctor had to say, the only thing that concerns her is her mother. Seeing the exhaustion in her mother's face has erased any desire to fight the doctor's decree for Sarah to stay another night. If it will make her mother feel better, who is she to argue the point? Besides, all she wants to do is sleep anyway. She doesn't have the energy or the desire to get out of bed.

Megan watches her daughter lay back lethargically against her pillows and close her eyes. Before her little girl can fall fully asleep, the older woman finally breaks the silence they've shared until now. "Honey. I'm going to go check on Tim, alright?"

With no visible reaction from Sarah, Megan heads out, closing the door behind her; completely missing the look of pure unadulterated fury that crosses her daughter's face when her eyes open up at the sound of the door closing. _Her brother! Damned him! All of this is HIS fault! Him and his stupid secrets and his stupid biological monster of a father and…._

Angrily, she swipes at the tears as they escape her eyes. _Damn him to hell!  
_

*****NCIS******

"Well done, Anthony." Ducky rewards him from his position, standing in the doorway of Tim's room.

"Thanks." Tony offers quietly as he lets his mind ponder the current state of things. It's disconcerting to see his partner in this condition and it's rattled Tony's sense of invincibility. Suddenly, everything isn't quite so…

"Anthony? Are you alright."

Ducky's question yanks Tony back from his thoughts and into the present. "Yeah."

"It's perfectly alright not to be; if you choose to allow yourself to admit it, young man." Ducky soothingly advises, taking the bite out of his hard hitting truth.

"Heh. Jeez, Ducky, you're beginning to sound like Gibbs." Tony tries to deflect the focus of the discussion.

"As much as that does not surprise me, it should tell you something, Anthony."

"Where is everyone?" Tony purposefully yanks the conversational direction back under his own control. He does not want to discuss with anyone the guilt he's been feeling come at him relentlessly through the night for the screw-ups that have landed his partner, friend and little brother in this hospital bed. _It was Tony who broke several rules while trying to find Tim and it was Tony who, even after he'd found him, broke one of the biggest rules of all. He had taken one look at Tim, sprawled out in that heart-stopping way – and assumed he__ was already dead! __Hadn't even checked for a pulse, for cryin' out loud! Who the hell makes that rookie mistake?_

Regarding Tony quizzically for a long silent minute, Ducky files what he sees away for a later discussion with the younger man's Team Leader. They both know a deflecting Tony is a young man with a ticking time-bomb of a problem just underneath the surface. This will have to be dug out before it either takes root or explodes.

With a tired sigh, the M.E. follows Tony's blatant push to redirect their focus. "I have sent Gibbs home for some real rest. I imagine he will be returning before lunchtime. Abigail should be arriving within the next hour or so. Ziva has informed me that she will be holding down the office for the rest of you as Mr. Palmer is doing for me. Mrs. McGee is with her daughter and will most assuredly be here to check on Timothy sometime this morning."

"Good." Tony's quiet tone leaves no doubt his internal struggles are weighing him down. "Thanks, Ducky."

"Why don't you go take a break. Get some coffee and some breakfast."

Shaking his head, the Senior Field Agent refuses. "No. I'm okay."

"Anthony…"

"No. I'm not leavin' him!"

Expelling a sigh of frustration, Ducky reluctantly agrees. "Alright. Then I shall bring you back some breakfast and coffee. And I shall expect you to eat and drink every bit of it."

"Thank you, but Abby will be bringing me something, I'm sure."

"Alright then. Do make sure you eat whatever it is she brings you. I won't be long, however, I wish to stop and check on young Sarah first before I head back this way. I would not be surprised to find Abigail here by the time I return."

"Yeah, well, let's hope she's not in 'Full Abby' mode." Tony mutters worriedly.

"I believe we can trust the cautious Abby to be in full presence when she realizes how weakened and in need of tender care Timothy is at the moment."

"I know, Ducky. But we _both _know she's prone to hug first and think later. And we _all _know how she is with her hugs when she gets emotional. And nothing gets Abby more emotional than reacting to one of us getting hurt."

"Yes, I suppose you're quite right about that. Well, then, perhaps you had better stop her before she gets too close to Timothy. Good luck trying." Ducky offers with a smirk as he turns and walks out, closing the door behind him.

Tony frowns. _Was that supposed to be funny?_

*****NCIS*****

Stepping out into the hallway, Megan sighs with relief at the sight of her daughter's doctor at the nurse's station. He's her best chance; probably her only chance of helping her with the solution to her problem.

"Hello, my dear." Ducky's greeting coming from just a short distance away while he closes the gap between them, startles her and she immediately turns in his direction to speak to him. "Doctor Mallard."

"Ducky. Please." The M.E. gently corrects. "And how is Sarah this morning?"

"She's running a fever but has managed to eat most of her breakfast. She's sleeping now so I thought I'd talk to her doctor." She replies as she casts her eyes in the direction of the nurse's station.

"I see." He answers. "Would you like me to be there with you?"

His charming smile helps calm Megan's nerves and gives her the boost she needs to continue to hold it together. "No. Thank you, but that isn't necessary. I just want to ask him if he'll move Sarah to a room on Tim's floor so I can be there for both of my children. As it is, I haven't even been able to check in on Tim this morning.

"Rest assured, Timothy is doing just fine. He's resting and has not been left alone for a single moment." Ducky promises her.

"I knew I could count on his teammates to be there for him. Still, I'm his mother and…"

"And you need him to know that you are here for him as well. Perfectly understandable, my dear. "

"Even if Sarah had been able to go home today, I still wouldn't have been able to take care of both of them. In fact, that would have made it even more impossible for me. I'm only one person and…"

"And although Sarah's being kept another day postpones some but not all of that problem, it fails to fix it adequately enough." Ducky surmises for her to let her know he completely understands.

"Right." She turns to go. "Let's hope the doctor is as understanding as you are, Ducky."

Ducky watches her walk to the nurse's station and begin talking with the Doctor. As the conversation draws on, he can see it's not going well and walks over to offer her his support.

"…can't authorize your daughter's change in rooms. With her fever and with all she's just been through, it's in her best interests to keep her calm and as rested as possible."

"Doctor, I appreciate your caution, but moving her to her brother's floor is the only way I can possibly be there for both of them. And that is just as important to Sarah as her rest."

"That is what you have me for, Dear." A new voice speaks from beside Ducky and Megan turns, profound relief strewn across her face.

"PENNY! Thank goodness you're here!"

*******NCIS****  
**

Abby's arrival comes much more quietly than Tony anticipated and he is admittedly relieved to see it. Just as he'd suspected, she smiles softly at him as she hands him a still warm bag from the local bakery. Giving her his own silent thanks, he sits back to eat his long awaited breakfast while Abby visits with her come into Tim's room almost timidly, and stopping at his bedside, , brings forth a wave of sympathy for her. Still, he's unwilling to wake Tim, so he doesn't break the silence, choosing to let Abby handle the sight of Tim in this injured and weakened state, in her own way.

With tears filling her eyes, Abby gently traces two of her fingers together down Tim's upper arm. "Oh, Timmy." She whispers. "What did they do to you?"

Tony is relieved to see that Tim does not stir under her touch and so he lets her keep going, getting whatever it is she needs to say and do, off her chest.

"I'm so relieved you're alive but it hurts to see you like this. We all need you, okay. So don't' even think of not getting better." Her tone gradually becomes louder and Tony is quick to move to her side in hopes of shushing her before she wakes Tim.

He's surprised when he reaches her, that she immediately leans into him, her words drying up as she allows herself to release her emotions silently now, through her tears as she leans on her just slightly older brother.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he holds her as she silently cries it out, her shoulders shaking as he draws her away from the bed. He positions them as close to the door as he can, in hopes of keeping her meltdown away from the possibility of Tim seeing or hearing it.

His hopes are dashed when he sees Tim's restless movements in his peripheral vision. Gently pulling back from Abby, he wipes her tears and applies pressure to her arms, his silent message for her to stay put while he takes care of Tim. He's beside Tim's bed in two strides, placing himself between Tim's visual field and Abby.

With a comforting hand on the patient's arm, he attempts to soothe him back to sleep. "Easy, Tim. Go back to sleep. You're alright."

Unable to stop herself, Abby is once again beside Tim's bed across from Tony, offering her own words of support. "That's right, Timmy. You just rest."

Almost instantly, Tim's eyes are open and he's looking in Abby's direction. Though his vision is still blurred, he can tell by the sound of her voice and the sheen on her face that she's been crying. "Ab…You…r...cry…ng?" He manages to as he attempts to come completely awake.

Seeing Tony's heated glare and hearing the abject worry in Tim's tone, Abby realizes she's messed up. She's quick to do what she can to reassure the patient that he's not to worry about it. "I'm just happy to see you again, Tim. We were all really scared and worried."

"…bout me?" He frowns. _Why would they be scared and worried about him?_

"But, you're back with us now and you're gonna be just fine. So we're all happy and relieved now." She tries to push his thought process forward to better thoughts.

Exhaustion pulls at him again and Tim doesn't fight it this time, his brain too tired to figure out this puzzle Abby's just handed him. "So…ry...ti…red."

"Sleep Timmy. I didn't mean to wake you." She murmurs as she soothes him, gently caressing his arm. Silently, she watches as he settles back into sleep. It's not long before she's moving away from the patient and back to the door, without another word to Tony. She's still upset, that much is obvious in her posture and the tears that are once again filling her eyes, but she's willing to hold it in now, figuring big brother Tony doesn't need anything else to be angry at her for.

Surprisingly enough, Tony is at her side as she steps out into the hall, but doesn't move past Tim's door, wanting to remain where Tim can see him so he doesn't think he's been left alone. "Abby."

"I didn't mean to wake him."

"I know. Are you alright?"

"I should be. Ya know, he's alive and we have him back, but…"

"Yeah. I know. Seeing him like this is…."

"Scary. I mean, Tim never gets hurt and now here he is…"

"More hurt than he should be." Tony finishes for her in complete agreement.

"Yeah." She exhales the word.

"But he's alive and will get better and that, young people, is what you should be concentrating on!"

Abby and Tony turn at the new voice they don't recognize and are surprised to find now only Mrs. McGee standing there, but an older woman, who is obviously the one scolding them, if her posture and animated features are anything to go by. "_That_ is what Timothy needs to see when he looks at you now."

Unable to stop themselves, both Tony and Abby find themselves replying almost in unison, "Yes, Ma'am."

At that response, Penny Langston smiles. "You must be Tony and Abby." She offers. "Timothy has spoken so much about you. I feel as if I already know you."

"And you would be?" Tony can't help himself as he feels completely caught off guard.

"Penny Langston." Mrs. McGee offers quietly with a soft smile. She can see her son's teammates are thrown for a loop; and she hopes to be able to smooth things over. "Tim's grandmother."

"Megan, you know I hate that word." Penny scolds her former daughter-in-law.

"Wow. How nice to meet you." Abby offers as she holds out her hand for a handshake.

Accepting the younger woman's hand, Penny looks her over. "Likewise, my dear. But, I must tell you, you look dreadful. Why don't the two of you go home and get some rest? Timothy's mother and I are here now. We'll sit with him."

"I actually need to go to work." Abby offers. "And Tony here was…"

"Not going anywhere." Tony replies firmly.

"Oh, but you need rest too, young man. I understand you've been keeping my grandson company all night. We all appreciate that but none of us are any good without proper rest."

"Been talking to Ducky, have you?" Tony grins.

"Actually, yes. I have met the wonderful Doctor Mallard. He's sitting with Sarah until one of us returns and has asked that we send you home." Penny replies without missing a beat.

Frowning, Tony looks back into Tim's room. He hates leaving him without letting him know since he knows it will just add to Tim's confusion when he wakes the next time.

"Relax, Tony." Abby soothes. "Timmy will be fine."

"Oh, I know that, Abby." He corrects her. "He's tough as nails. _You_ of all people should know that by now."

Abby frowns at the inflection in his tone. Before she can think about it too much, he is speaking to Tim's mother. "You'll let him know I'll be back?"

"Yes, Tony. I promise you. I will tell him." Megan promises. She knows this young man needs to be there for her son as much as her son needs the support and she has no desire to take that from him or from anyone on Tim's team.

"Thank you. C'mon, Abbs. Let's leave these lovely ladies in peace for their visit. Mrs. Langston, it's been a pleasure."

"Yes, it has." Penny offers before turning and heading into Tim's room, Tim's mother right behind her.

Left behind in the hallway, Abby stares forlornly into Tim's room. Tony glances in and sees Tim's mother and grandmother each stand at one of Tim's shoulders, reaching out to touch him, stroking his hair just for a moment before forcing themselves to sit and wait for him to wake up.

Looking back at Abby, he reaches out and pulls her to him in another brotherly gesture. "C'mon. He's in good hands now."

"I know. But I still don't wanna leave him."

"Neither do I, Abbs. Neither do I."

****NCIS***

He blinks owlishly as he returns to the land of wakefulness, the dull ache of his injuries pulling at his consciousness. When his vision finally clears, Tim finds himself glancing around the room as far as his eyes can travel without him moving his head. He's not surprised to find his mother sitting by the window, her eyes closed in exhausted slumber. _Thank God she's alright! _Feeling another presence in the eerie quietness of his room sends a shiver down his spine, as if he's woken up in the middle of a spine-tingling mystery. Turning his head, he finds his grandmother silently watching him. _When had she gotten here?_

Almost without thinking, he's reaching out; or at least trying to, towards her, his hand barely moving up off the bed. Thankfully, she knows him well enough to know what he's trying to do and picks it up in her own. Smiling softly, she waits for him to speak his mind.

"P…ny."

"Timothy. Save your strength. Go on back to sleep." She quietly urges him, unwilling to wake his mother.

"Sarah?" He rasps with the scratchy throat that still won't let him sound normal. His worry is clear though and she's quick to reassure him.

"She's fine. You just take care of you."

Tim frowns. _Why does it feel like she's not telling him the whole truth? What happened ?_

"Timothy. I can see those wheels turning up there, sweetheart. Relax, there'll be plenty of time for questions later. Right now, you need rest." Penny orders quietly.

The unmistakable order brings a small smile to her grandson as he nods briefly and lets his eyes close once more. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he can't help but protest that all he's been doing lately is sleeping.

*******NCIS*******

Gibbs frowns as he travels the hospital corridors as quickly as he can. He never meant to sleep longer than a few hours and here it is damned near 1300! Damn Ducky for being so forceful about sending Gibbs home for 'real rest'! Pretty slick of the ole' coot to appoint Ziva as the enforcer; sending her to his house to make sure he was genuinely rested before finally letting him go.

He has to admit he does feel human again and he feels the anger slipping away with each step that brings him closer to his agent's room. The absence of machine noises raises the alarm within him almost immediately; that is until he notices how peacefully Tim is sleeping, Tony's hand resting comfortingly on the patient's shoulder. He is surprised, however, that there is no sign of Mrs. McGee in sight. _Why isn't his mother here?_


	17. Chapter 16

_A/N: My deepest apologies for the delay in updating - Unfortunately, life often gets in the way._

_And now, back to our story:_

* * *

_"Do you know, I still don't' know what 'it' is? Neither of them will tell me. What little I know doesn't add up to that explosion or this rift. I can't believe neither one of them will talk to me about it."_

_"Comes back to not taking that choice away from them, Sarah."_

As that piece of conversation she and Agent Gibbs had back in December comes back to her again, Sarah McGee angrily swipes at the tears that won't stop coming. She's not sad or feeling traumatized, despite the ordeal she's just been through. No, she's not any of that. What she is - is angry. Furiously and justifiably angry. She'd _tried_ to find the underlying cause of what was going on in her family back in December when Tim and Mom had had that falling out. Hell, she'd even tried getting Tim's boss to let her in on it, since it had been obvious he'd known more about it than she had! And _what_ had she been told? That her brother had the right to choose whether to let her in! And _look _what that choice had gotten them!

Angrily fidgeting in her hospital bed, Sarah continues to let the wave of negative emotions she's been dealing with all morning, roll on through her mind. Sure, she'd accepted that answer and let everything go back then. But since she and Mom had to just drop their lives and go into hiding thanks to Tim's decision as a direct result of that, she's been able to think on it a lot and frankly, with the nearly tragic way things had turned out, she has the right to be angry. What's more, she doesn't _care_ if anyone thinks she doesn't have that right. Its how she feels and no one can tell her any differently. What do they know anyway?

Even Grandma Penny, in her unexpected yet _almost_ enjoyable visit a short time ago, hadn't driven Sarah's anger away. In fact, distracted as she was by the painful reminder of her father that her grandmother's presence always brought to her mind, Sarah still realized that Penny had noticed it almost immediately:

"_Sarah, sweetheart. Thank goodness you're alright!"_

"_Thanks, Penny." Sarah replied quietly. She noted her mother's look of surprise at the first words Sarah has spoken all morning. Still angry at her though, she continued ignoring her for the moment._

"_I know that look. You're very angry. I'm glad to see it, sweetheart. That's so much healthier of an emotion for you to be feeling right now than wallowing in self-pity. You have every right to be angry at what you've just been through. If that bastard wasn't dead already, I'd be making sure he was suffering for what he just put you and your mother through!"_

_Sarah lapsed into silence, her eyes finding the blanket at her knees most interesting to stare at._

"_Sarah? Now that you've eaten and rested, would you like to go visit your brother?" Her mother asked almost too sweetly in an obvious need to change the subject._

"_NO!" Sarah's refusal was swift, unmistakable and loud as she finally looked up at her mother. With her anger shining through in her glare, the tension in the room thickened almost visibly._

"_Sarah, I know you're as relieved as we are that your brother is going to be ok, too." Penny tried to diffuse the situation calmly, her reproachful glance directed at her former daughter-in-law. _

_Her grandmother's quiet, calm voice did little to soothe her anger and it lay visible in her features for both of them to see. But it was her mother's next attempt to soothe her that backfired._

"_Honey, I know how you must feel after all yo…"_

"_You __**don't**__ know how I feel! You're not me! You're not the one who was le….!"_

"_You're right, Sweetheart. We don't know exactly how you feel. But if you want to tell us, we'll listen. We're here for you." Again, Penny attempted to put out the fire, needing this situation to be calmed before it became a tempest from which none of Lucas Martin's most recent victims would recover._

"_I wanna be left alone." Sarah snapped waspishly, her concern for her mother's feelings long gone in the face of having been left alone while the two women had gone to visit with her brother. She couldn't help it if her mother hadn't yet figured out why Sarah was so angry, why she felt so betrayed. It wasn't Sarah's responsibility to explain it to her, she was too damned tired, and battle scarred to try._

_***End Flashback***_

Laying her head back against her pillows once more, Sarah recalls now how irrationally she'd felt the spike of jealousy mesh with the already knee-deep pile of anger she felt at her brother. Put together, it made for a huge pile of mixed negative emotions that is just too overwhelming to deal with. Shifting restlessly again, the young woman frowns. She doesn't care. She's the one who'd been stripped damned near naked, bound, gagged and forced to watch as her mother was damned near raped in front of her. She's the one who'd had to watch her mother play up to what that monster had wanted from her. And what was it that bastard had said about Tim? That her brother was his? Even now, she's not sure she heard him right. But it makes sense in context with the events that happened back in December. The big secret no one had wanted to tell her. _Yeah, it all made perfect sense now. Perfect sick sense_. _Damn it all, she should have been told!_

******NCIS******

Sensing he's no longer alone in the room, Tony opens his eyes and sits up, rubbing his hand tiredly across his face. He's not as rested as he thought he'd be. But then again, getting the phone call from Ducky asking him to come back to Tim's room a little over two hours ago hadn't been expected either.

***Flashback***

"_Anthony, I do apologise for disturbing your rest, but I believe you are needed here with Timothy just a bit sooner than you'd planned on returning."_

"_Why? What happened? Is he okay?"_

"_Physically, his condition remains unchanged."_

"_Okay. so you're saying he's upset about something."_

"_It would appear that Timothy is acutely uncomfortable in his mother's presence and he insisted that his grandmother return to her hotel room to get some sleep. My presence has been requested in Autopsy and I do not wish to wake Gibbs or leave Timothy alone, despite his insistence that I do so."_

"_That's fine, Ducky. I'm on my way. Any idea why he's uncomfortable around his mom?"_

"_I can only speculate and I do not wish to do so until I've had a chance to speak with Timothy further. However, he is unwilling to discuss it."_

"_Okay. I'll see what I can find out."_

"_Anthony, I would ask that you do not push him to talk about things he does not wish to discuss."_

"_I won't. Scouts honor."_

A slight movement from the person in the room with him now, brings Tony back to the present. Looking around he sees the boss standing at the foot of the bed and quietly greets him. "Hey, Boss."

"DiNozzo."

"He's been sleeping' since I got here two hours ago. I'm getting' worried." Tony admits.

"Nah. It's good for him. What are you doing here? I thought his mother would be sitting with him, since his sister's sleeping."

"You checked on her on your way up here, then?" Tony double-checked since hearing her name reminds him that he himself has not checked on her as he should have.

That look on the boss' face says he shouldn't even ask so Tony launches into the answer the older man is waiting for. "His mother was here; his grandmother, too. Apparently, Probie has some issues with being comfortable around his mom right now. Ducky said even after his mom left to go sit with Sarah, Tim was worried when he woke up; something about wanting his grandmother to get some sleep. So Ducky called me when he was called in to work. Maybe Mrs. McGee went to get a bite to eat- while Sarah's sleeping, I mean."

Gibbs nods. "Okay. Go take a break."

"Boss?"

"Go. See if Ziva needs any help. Both of you check on Abby. Eat something. Sleep. Just don't come back here until six."

"On it, Boss." Tony gets to his feet, reaches out to straighten the blanket over Tim's chest. "I'll be back, Probie. Boss has your six til then. Doesn't matter that you told Ducky to leave you with no one here. We're not gonna do that to you. Get better, Probie, but stop sleeping' on the job so much, alright? You're making' the rest of us look bad."

Turning, Tony slides a smirk in the boss' direction before leaving. He knows Gibbs will probably have something to say to his injured agent but won't do it with the door open. Whatever it is the man wants to say, Tony's sure Tim needs to hear it so he does what he can to make sure that happens, closing the door behind him on his way out.

Gibbs moves to the side of the bed where Tony's been keeping vigil. He doesn't sit down though, choosing instead to reach out and tuck the stray few strands of Tim's hair back behind the young man's ear as a parent would a child, his soothing voice filling the silence in the room. "Tony's right on both counts, McGee. We're not gonna leave you alone, like we don't care and you do need to wake up; let me see you're alright for more than just a half-second the way you've been doing."

Almost as if obeying the boss in his sleep, Tim's head turns in Gibbs' direction and his eyes begin to move underneath his eyelids.

Unable to resist the urge, Gibbs does what he can to encourage his agent to go ahead and wake up the rest of the way. "C'mon, Tim. Rise and shine."

_Rise and shine…_Shock invades his brain as the boss speaks to him in a way he's never expected from him. Forcing his eyes to open, Tim blinks several times before he attempts anything else. Attempting to move to a sitting position is more than his body can handle since the cloud of painkillers he has in him seem to be steadily thinning with every breath he takes. It's an intense wave of agony that hits him like a widespread array of razor sharp claws. Finally, though, he can grip the blanket with enough strength that he actually feels it underneath his fingers. He hadn't been able to before. Now he hangs on with what little strength he has managed to recoup. Wordlessly, Tim lets his eyes close, riding out the pain and dizziness.

"Easy, Tim." Gibbs soothes as he finds and slowly pushes the button on the bed that raises Tim's upper body until Tim silently nods that it's far enough.

When the world stops spinning and the pain is tolerable Tim finally opens his eyes once more. The bright light doesn't hurt nearly as much now as it had before, though he has yet to look anywhere beyond his bed. His throat hurts and he is more thirsty than he can remember being in a long time but he doesn't have the energy or the strength to solve that need just yet.

Relief floods through his brain at the sight that meets his eyes when he finally looks up. Standing there patiently waiting for him, is the boss. Gibbs is holding a Styrofoam cup as he reaches into it and extracts an ice chip, holding it between two of his fingers as he holds it out towards Tim.

"Here. Suck on this."

Allowing the man to feed him the ice chip, Tim wordlessly continues to blink until his vision completely clears. The ice chip feels wonderfully cold and soothing and he works it around in his mouth until it's gone. His throat feels better but he wouldn't turn another ice chip down. It's a silent few minutes as he continues to accept the ice from the Team Leader, letting the older man take care of him, at least for the moment. It's surreal enough that it feels like a dream and he doesn't know if he'll wake up to the reality he's used to.

He's reluctant to let the man stop helping him. But he does, when he realizes he needs to speak to him, even if his words are slow and spaced deliberately chosen to keep his exertion to a minimum. "Thank you."

Gibbs nods his acceptance as he waits to see what Tim needs next. The question coming from the patient is not entirely unexpected.

"Is…something….wrong?"

Gibbs shakes his head as he lets the ice chip fall back into the cup. Setting the cup down on the bedside table, he turns his attention back to his agent. "No."

"Why….are…you…here?"

"There a reason I shouldn't be here, Tim?" Gibbs keeps his tone sympathetic because he can't seem to stop feeling that emotion just yet. They'd come too damned close to losing Tim and he was just too damned grateful to be able to say _almost._

_I'm not Tony or Ziva or Abby or Ducky._ Tim can't stop the combative thought from making itself heard in his mind, although he holds the words inside. He's quick to drop his gaze to his blanket covered stomach, almost immediately willing himself to visualize what his bullet wound probably looks like. God knows it's beginning to hurt like hell. The pain meds must be wearing off again.

Gibbs doesn't like the answering flash of emotion he just saw in Tim's eyes because what he saw wasn't belief or reassurance. Still, he doesn't want to dwell on hashing this out when he can much more easily show the young man that he's important enough for all of his team to be here for him. "Ready for the doctor to check you over?"

"Yeah." Tim offers quietly, his eyes still downcast.

With an audible sigh, Gibbs gets up and heads to the nurses' station so he can get things rolling for his agent and get an update on his prognosis. He's not sure which will be the tougher recovery, Tim's physical wounds or his emotional ones. Deeply sighing once more, the Team Leader braces himself for the long haul ahead; knowing that he has no intention of letting Tim go through any of it thinking any of them blame him for anything that happened. The reminder that Tim will blame himself enough for all them feels like a dead weight in his gut. Definitely going to be a long and difficult recovery.

******NCIS******

Being checked out by the doctor and finally forcing himself to eat a somewhat decent meal, thankfully mostly finger foods, some thirty minutes later, has worn Tim out almost completely. Still, he's unwilling to let sleep take him away because he just knows down deep that one of the reasons Gibbs is here with him has to be because the man wants to take him to task for what happened. He has to admit he wants some answers from the man as well.

He vaguely recalls his mother and grandmother's visit to his room earlier in the day and he remembers something about Penny and sleep and his mom and Sarah. Hopefully, he and the boss will be able to give each other the answers they need. Swallowing hard, Tim gathers his waning energy and opens his mouth.

"Boss?"

"Hmm?" Gibbs brings his gaze from the world outside Tim's window, back to the young man.

"What happened?"

"What's the last thing you remember, McGee?" Gibbs walks over to the bed and sits back down in the chair, his eyes trained on his agent.

"Seeing Martin holding a gun to my mom's back as he forced her into that cab with Sarah." Tim frowns at the energy he feels leaving him at speaking the longest string of words he's spoken since waking up in this room.

"That's it?"

"I'm not sure. I think… I remember following them. I remember reaching for my phone and it falling to the floor of the cab."

"You did follow them. Do you remember where you stopped?"

"I remember seeing the cab leaving a gas station so I got my cab driver to stop…" Tim's eyes don't move from looking down but it's clear he's trying hard to remember the events. It's a quiet minute before he looks back up and over at Gibbs. "But it wasn't Martin I saw when I got out of the cab. It was an older man, and he was in a hurry to get out of the store. I tried to get out of his way…"

"And got shot by that dirtbag Ed Johnson for your trouble."

Tim nods at that reminder. That explains why he doesn't remember anything after that. Glancing away for a minute, he swallows hard. He's relieved to know the pieces of what happened that he hasn't been able to remember but something's missing. Looking up at the boss, he asks what he has to know. "You got him?"

"Fornell's people did. We had other things to worry about."

Tim reads between the lines. He and his remaining family members had been the sole focus of his team in this nightmare and for that he can't say _'thank you'_ enough. In fact words just don't even come close. Maybe that is why he can't find the right ones at the moment. Instead, his mind seems to almost instantly move on to his next burning question; one he just has to ask. "Sarah? I mean, Penny was here and she said Sarah i…"

"She's fine, McGee."

Again, Tim nods although the little voice inside his head is casting serious doubts on that statement. He knows Gibbs would never lie to him. Leaving details out however, is another story. He pushes for the truth. "Fine?"

"Physically, she's fine." Gibbs clarifies shortly since he doesn't want Tim overloaded with any details. The young man has already heard more than enough to think about for a while.

Tim knows the boss is telling him that something bad happened to his sister that she won't recover from overnight. Still, he has to know. "Please, Boss. I need to know ."

Gibbs nods and draws the chair closer to Tim. It's going to be hard hearing this and he wants to be there for Tim if he needs to reach out and anchor himself to something. Still, he struggles with the words, his silence inadvertently lengthening as he does.

The older man's silence is nerve wracking and before Tim can stop himself, he's practically begging for the information, hoping it's not nearly as bad as he's imagining it to be. "Boss. Please. Just tell me."

Looking up at his agent, Gibbs nods. He knows Tim's tough and can take it. What's more, he deserves to know what his mother and sister have gone through; what they're dealing with now because of it. Swallowing hard, he clears his throat. "Okay. "

*****NCIS*****

Closing the door behind him, Gibbs glances back into the room, his eyes gluing themselves to his now sleeping agent. The rehashing of everything that had happened since Martin's escape had taken almost as much out of the storyteller as it had the listener. Gibbs hadn't pulled any punches, hadn't wanted any of this to come back up in the form of the question _'why didn't you tell me' _since Tim had asked directly for the details.

It hadn't been an easy decision, choosing to tell Tim about his mother and sister's ordeals. But in the end, Gibbs had done it; telling him everything that would be in the case report, knowing Tim would never appreciate hearing about it any other way but straight from him. It had been especially difficult watching Tim rigidly hold onto his emotions; his weakened fists grasping the blanket on either side of his legs, refusing to reach out for help or an anchor. Seeing this badly injured young man fight to hold back the tears of guilt-ridden anguish, blinking countless times to restrain those tears had increased the level of respect Gibbs held for this young man and his strength of character.

The Team Leader also felt compassion for Tim as he forced himself to keep talking; to keep revealing event after event until the young man was completely up to speed on the events of those 48 hours. Looking at him expectantly, Tim had been quick to ask with quiet conviction. "What aren't you telling me?"

And so Gibbs obliged him, relaying all that he knew would _not_ be in the reports, detail upon detail, not only of what his sister and mother had gone through and the state they'd been in when he'd found them; but of his teammates' ordeals as well. It wasn't surprising to see Tim lose the battle with exhaustion before he was finished. But it was a relief to not have to tell him anything more, at least not now. Feeling pretty wrung out, he stood from the chair, re-tucked the blanket up around his agent and went back to the window to look out.

As he waited to make sure Tim was solidly asleep, Tony's tidbit of information about Tim's visit with his mother earlier in the day had begun to come back to his mind. It made sense now. Somehow, Tim's sub-consciousness must have believed that he was responsible for whatever his mother had gone through while he was missing and injured, even before he knew the details. Guilt on someone else's behalf made for uncomfortable relationships. And they all knew how readily Tim accepted responsibility for his own wrongdoings, real or imagined, on a normal day. Still, it had been disconcerting to see the young man's emotions so close to the surface and covered in so much guilt.

Allowing himself to get lost in his thoughts for a time, Gibbs finds, when he returns to the here and now, that almost ten minutes has passed since Tim fell asleep. Turning to glance at the patient one last time, he picks up his empty coffee cup and quietly heads out for a refill, stopping off at the nurses' station to alert them that Tim needs to be watched until he gets back. He also needs to check on Sarah and Mrs. McGee. Suddenly he's glad Ducky sent him home for the rest earlier in the day. It's going to be a long night.

******NCIS*****  
**

Consciousness now returns easier and with less work. Tim also quickly finds that his vision is clearing with less of a struggle. The feeling of being alone in the room is a strange one, but one he recognizes, nonetheless. It's not the first time he's woken up alone in a hospital bed and truth be told, his mind isn't even focused on that long enough to do more than accept the reality of it. No, his mind has already moved toward the conversation he had with Gibbs before he fell asleep. He appreciates the solid truth he knows the boss gave him; no matter how hard it was to take.

The fact that Gibbs gave him what he wanted, the brutal truth, means a lot to him and he'll always treasure the fact that he can depend on his Team Leader for that kind of honesty. At the same time, it adds so much culpability and responsibility to what he was already aware was his, that he can barely wrap his head around the scope of it all. It does explain his almost instinctive nervousness and feeling of being uncomfortable around his mother, whom he's caused so much pain and suffering.

He contemplates the pain he's also caused Ziva, who shouldn't have to deal with his private hell while trying to acclimate herself to her new country. Abby will undoubtedly be the one to push to be let in; she will insist on knowing how this has left him feeling when he's just too tired of the whole mess to even talk about it. Tiredly, he lays his head back and closes his eyes, basking in the solitude. He loves his family dearly, including his team members and their drive to make sure he's not left alone, but for right now he treasures this chance to be alone.

******NCIS******

In the week following Tim's return to the land of the living, someone from the team or his family has stayed with him nearly around the clock. . Although he has spoken little and then only with Ducky, Tony or Gibbs, he has not smiled once, not even when Abby returned for a visit. They've at least been able to draw enough out of him to be aware of his continuing struggle with several things simultaneously, not the least of which is being perpetually uncomfortable around Ziva, Abby and his mother. This has made it nearly impossible for those three to visit with him without an incident in which Tim shuts down, allowing sleep to take him away to escape their attention.

Sarah McGee has never come to visit her brother; making it necessary for her mother and Penny to alternate between sitting with her or her brother. Each time Megan McGee has attempted to spend time with Tim, she has come back to her former mother-in-law's home fighting back the tears; letting them out only when she knows Sarah is napping, tucked away in the third story bedroom she's always loved.. The hours she must stay strong for her children are endless.

Penny, however, refuses to allow the continuation of this emotional build-up of pain. She has a trip coming up that cannot be postponed and she wants this resolved before her departure. It's the least she can do for her son's family now that he's gone. He would have been devastated to see Tim going through this, devastated to see what his wife and daughter have been through. But most of all, he would have moved heaven and hell to fix this for all of them, most especially Tim.

It is Penny's belief that given what has happened, her son, if he were still here with them, would take that letter back and shred it into a million pieces, never to have been seen by Timothy. That letter, revealing to Timothy his true parentage, has forever changed her precious grandson's life and the lives of those that matter most to him. Penny knew nothing about this letter until Megan shared it with her a week ago; the night Sarah ran a fever and stayed in the hospital. It's one she wishes her son had never written.

She has to admit, however, that it has helped her better understand Timothy's motivations behind his silent refusal to work at becoming comfortable in his mother's presence. She has not openly discussed it with Tim, but rather allowed him to continue trying to get through the present ordeal. That understanding and subsequent decision has by no means eradicated her overwhelming determination to fix things between them. They need each other and Sarah needs them both as much as her brother does, if not more. With Sarah physically recovered, it's now her mental state they need to focus on; hers and Timothy's. Penny has vowed that is exactly what they're going to do.

And so, one week after Tim returned to them, on the heels of yet another restrained bout of restrained tears from her dearly loved former daughter-on-law, Penny puts her foot down. She lets it be known that, she's taking the day shift with her grandson the following day. Wordlessly Megan nods; too grateful for the reinforcement to argue. Having already forged something of a friendship with Ducky, Penny calls the kindly man and advises him of her intentions, needing him to keep the NCIS team at bay. She makes quick work of laying it all out for him; Ducky, bless him, wishes her well and offers his assistance if and when she decides she needs it.

Marching into Tim's room after lunch that eighth day, Penny closes the shade on the door, in the windows on the hallway wall and even on the outside windows. She wants no distraction or interruptions. This is too important. With her heart in her eyes, rare occasion as that is, she touches his foot, wrapping her hand around it as she shakes it just enough to wake him.

"Timothy, sweetheart. We need to talk."

******NCIS******

Day nine is the first time the team gets to visit with Tim since Penny's declaration two days prior and although some of the weight seems to be lifted from his shoulders, it looks as though it's barely enough to even notice. Still uncomfortable around the women, Tim is always relieved to find Tony or even Gibbs walking through his door alone. He knows it meansthat it's their turn to sit with him and he's very appreciative of their efforts and what they're conveying with their time and attention.

Consequently, he rarely allows himself to sleep during their visits; at least unless he's so tired he can't fight it any longer. Any attempts to draw his thoughts into the open are noticeably met with an almost imperceptible shrug of his good shoulder and eyes looking everywhere else but at the person asking the question. They know he means no disrespect and so they leave the situation under his control, at least for now.

Finally, nearly a week later the night before Tim is supposed to be released, Tony can't stand it any longer. Taking the television remote from Tim's hand, he turns the television off and turns back to the patient. "What gives, Probie?"

Laying his head back, Tim averts his eyes yet again. "Nothing, Tony."

"You know I'm not buying' that crap. Hell, even Gibbs doesn't buy it."

Tim sighs. "It's nothing to do with you."

"OH, I _know_ that, McGee. What I don't know is why you have an issue with anyone trying to be here for you."

Tim sighs. He knew this conversation was coming. But that doesn't mean he's ready for it. Hell, he doesn't need this confrontation. As a matter of fact, right about now, he'd be happier on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere!

"McGee!"

The aggrieved push from his teammate somehow brings back to mind those fuzzy moments when he'd first woken up from his harrowing ordeal, to find Tony crying at his bedside. He doesn't want to rip the band-aid off but he does want the older man to know he's concerned about whatever Tony might be hiding underneath, and there's no time like the present. "Can I ask you a question, Tony?"

"Sure. If you'll answer mine first."

Another sigh. Fine. Obviously, he wasn't going to get out of this one. "It's like I said when this first came down, Tony. I did this. Me."

"Oookaaay. Doesn't explain the issue you have with Ziva or Abby. Your mom, I get. The other two, I don't. And neither do they. Matter of fact, Ducky can't even seem to explain it away.

"Won't. And that's because Ducky respects confidentiality."Tim corrects his friend's statement knowingly.

Tony frowns. He hadn't thought of that. "Oh."

"My turn." Tim's assertiveness is a surprise.

"Huh?"

"To ask a question."

"Oh, right. Okay, Shoot." Tony winces at his own choice of words

"Have you talked to someone about it?" Tim's tone has moderated to abject concern, his eyes glued to his friend's face.

Tony's relieved that Tim is ignoring the misspoken thought but is confused by the question. His eyes nervously scope out the room, refusing to meet Tim's. "What are you talkin' about?"

"You going to tell me I was imagining that what happened in this mess really upset you? That's how you expect me to open up to you, Tony?"

Exhaling a puff of air, Tony finally looks over at his friend. "No. You're right."

Tim nods silently, not willing to push him further. He knows that he has left the conversational ball right where Tony needs it to be, with him in control of where it goes from here.

"You sure you wanna hear this?"

"Yes, Tony. I am."

"Well, alright then." Tony replies in that singsong tone reserved for moments he is just a shade too uncomfortable to let things ride.

"You don't have to tell me." Tim quietly gives him an out.

"Thanks, Probie. But DiNozzos don't wimp out!"

"Tony." Tim's serious tone quiets Tony's sense of discomfort, letting him relax, at least until it dawns on him what Tim is referring to. "Wait. You heard me?"

"Yeah."

"And you saw me."

"Couldn't see past the blurred vision, but I could tell it was you." Tim keeps his voice quiet and soothing as he continues to try to help Tony talk this through. He is glad Tony is leaning towards letting it out and he is happy to be able to help him get it out since this is not something they are usually able to do for each other.

"And you've sat on it all this time. Of course you have; this is you we're talkin' about."

"Tony. I know we have never been each other's confidant before but I'm here. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. And…I'm here for you."

Tony's quiet for a long minute. Finally, he swallows hard and looks over at his teammate. "Thanks, man."

Tim nods silently, not wanting to spoil the mood.

"Goes for me too, ya know." Now Tony looks at Tim expectantly. He knows Tim has a lion's share of things he needs to unload from his shoulders before he buckles under the strain.

Tim nods as he answers with gratitude. "I know."


	18. Epilogue - One Month Later

Limping with the aid of his cane, Tim gets out of the taxi that has just brought him to the Navy Yard, mere steps from the front entrance to NCIS. It has been a month since the nightmare that was his biological father tore his life and the lives of everyone around him to pieces and every day of that month has been spent in layers of guilt wrapped in the pain of his physical road to recovery. He is still facing at least three more months of rehab on both his shoulder and his knee. Every day, the worry crosses his mind that one or both injuries will not heal properly, forever costing him his career as a field agent.

However, that worry pales in comparison to the laundry list of things for which he cannot shake the absolute responsibility; the weight of these barely allow him to get out of bed in the mornings; the weight that no passage of time seems to ease or lift away. Everything from the innocent lives lost at Lucas Martin's hands to the death of Martin himself, now irrevocably on his mother's conscience. He knows that none of this would have happened if he had made different choices back in December. He should have gone to Gibbs for help or at least taken Ducky's advice much more to heart. Now these poor decisions serve to keep the weight of that guilt squarely on his shoulders. There is no relief in sight, then again, he doesn't feel he deserves any relief.

Deep down there's a piece of him that firmly believes the guilt is his just desserts for causing this nightmare in the first place, as will be any lack of improvement in his physical recovery. No one has been able to shake that belief from him; those few who know him well realize he carries it with him everywhere he goes, every minute of the day. They have learned to let him work through that guilt in his own way, taking great pains not to address the topic at all.

Even his mother and sister have not been able to ease that burden from him, though with their array of phone calls and emails to him, they continue to try. It had been obvious when he was around them that the guilt would build to almost epic proportions until it nearly drove him to reckless attempts to purge it through drinking or completely isolating himself from them before they had even left.

At the same time, since the day of Tim's release from the hospital, it has only been his team's relentless determination to be there for him that has kept things from progressing backwards into something worse than what it has become. Although he has never refused to see them, neither has he enthusiastically participated in their visits.

He has never been one to harm himself deliberately, but that has not stopped him from giving in to the relentless desire to get lost in the moments, without the constant new companions of guilt and pain that have become inseparable from who he is now.

Countless times, Ducky has scolded him back into some semblance of common sense after a rather short-sighted foray into drunkenness or desperate search for solitude that finds him locking himself away behind closed doors for hours at a time. It is these situations which bring Tim's teammates to the point of second-guessing themselves in their efforts to reach out to him.

Every one of those who know him best has come to understand that this Tim McGee is not the same man they knew before Lucas Martin escaped from prison just days before his scheduled execution. That Tim is gone for good and in his place is a jaded version who sees very little good in himself even as he continues to try to always see the good in those he knows. As for people he doesn't know well, it takes him longer to find the good than it used to, but the fact that he does continue to look for it gives them that hope for his future, which those other moments seem to steal away.

Much to the chagrin of his teammates, there are other unmistakable changes within the young man, including a far quieter and less engaging persona than the one they'd become close to working together all these years; one they'd thought they knew quite well. He seldom smiles, laughs even less and usually can't bring himself to look anyone in the eye when he does speak to them.

It hasn't taken them much time thinking about it to realize this new quiet Tim lives under one of the heaviest blankets – guilt – to overcome. The weight of it makes it quite difficult to hear voices of reason. Their continued attempts to spend time with him in their off hours have given them this insight, but not the ability to break through and help him.

Nevertheless, they are relentless in their efforts to show him that he is without a doubt still theirs, still important and always loved within their unique family.

Tim doesn't spend much time thinking about these events or how they've changed him, on a daily basis; hasn't since his release from the hospital. Rather, his hours seem to disappear as he deliberately loses himself in one of Ducky's novels. He finds it is only in the 'reading zone' or in the solitude provided by nature that his mind can try to dig its way out from under the blanket and even then, only in small steps. Luckily, along with the large number of books in Ducky's library, he's found an abundance of nature in the good doctor's backyard.

He rarely allows himself to think about what his mother and sister must be going through as they try to recover. That just reminds him of the mountain of guilt forever belonging to him that he's yet to attempt to climb He is however, beyond grateful for the help Ducky provided Sarah. With a lot of work, his sister has been able to stop blaming Tim, for the most part. They don't discuss it in their rare and stilted communications, each obviously feeling emotionally raw and silently agreeing that the discussion is off limits. He has been able to discuss it once briefly with Ducky. While it cleared some things up for Tim, it's a topic from which he's since stayed away.

Likewise, his conversation with Tony, which delved into the depths of how the ordeal affected the Senior Field Agent, has remained out of bounds for Tim's thoughts as well, since the night it took place.

Too much time spent thinking over that conversation brings Tim to tears; the thought of the anguish his team went through on his behalf – again, all because of his painfully bad choices, is too much to hold up under. Still he can't help but remember the hardest part of that conversation.

***Flashback***

"_You wouldn't understand, Tony. This kind of crap never happens to you or Ziva or Gibbs or even Abby or Jimmy."_

"_So now you're psychic?"_

_Tim refuses to dignify that with an answer. Besides he knows he's right. Tony won't ever understand because Tony has never had the experience of finding out his true parentage is anything as twisted as Tim's._

"_Probie. All jokes aside, man. What is it?"_

_Tim sighs."You're serious about wanting to help."_

"_Yes. I am. I promise you."_

"_Okay. But, this stays just between us, Tony. Don't even tell Ducky or Gibbs that I let you in. The last thing I want is to be the subject of some pow-wow or intervention between the three of you."_

"_I promise man."_

_Tim nods. "Pull up a chair. It's gonna take a while."_

_***End Flashback***_

Blinking, Tim returns his focus to the here now as he ponders the realization that throughout all their visits with him since his release from the hospital, he and Tony seemed to have lost the ability to be as open with each other as they were in that one conversation. It's as if it had been too surreal to survive past the moment. Tim knows it's his own fault since he's the one who's retreated; gone into hiding from the world as much as possible.

Today is only different because something unusual has happened; that unexpected phone call with that unexpected directive. That's what has brought him here now. This change in what has become routine has also brought about a change in things he's thinking about. Suddenly, he finds himself thinking hard, about all of it and while it sharpens his focus; it also re-sharpens the pain in his heart; nearly ripping the band-aid completely off the wound.

Despite the renewed emotions rolling through him, the voice in his head, the voice of reason won't go away. It keeps reminding him that he needs to see his mom. He needs to tell her how desperately sorry he is for all she and Sarah had to endure; for the brush with death they had to experience and all the terror and fear for their lives that came with it. And all of that happened because of a decision he made on his own, despite intelligent, experienced advice to the contrary. He has to explain away the hurt she's experienced every time he's been unable to find comfort in her visits. Though she's never said a word, he saw it in her eyes, time and time again during her visits before they went back home to California and each visit he felt his heart break just a little bit more. He knows that voice is right, as is the one that reminds him that he needs to include his sister in that as well. But, He's just not ready for conversation that just yet.

Right now, all he can think about is how to get through this next ordeal. Before he can reach for the door handle, he is ushered into the building to be greeted by cheers and welcoming smiles from countless agents and other agency personnel, all of whom have worked with him or at least known him in his tenure with NCIS. He's embarrassed and decidedly nervous since he's still not comfortable with the idea that no one at the Agency blames him for setting the whole nightmare in motion.

That very subject is yet another mountain he has deliberately not attempted to scale since the evidence he's seen. His boss's absence since his release from the hospital has shown him how wrong people can be. His disappearance from his life these last two weeks has well underscored the reality. Still, standing here in the face of all of this unexpected happiness at his return to at least the building, if not duty, Tim remains speechless.

The crowd parts as it hushes, almost as if the Director herself has come to welcome him back, though he knows that wouldn't happen. He spares a thought to realize he's grateful that she has not attempted to see or talk to him yet. Looking up from his shoes, Tim is astounded to find Gibbs standing in front of him; he hadn't told anyone he was coming in this morning. Even more shocking is the broad smile sitting on the man's face as he speaks. "Welcome home, Tim."

As Tim processes the genuine welcome in these, the first words he's heard from this man in two weeks, his vision clouds as he recalls the last conversation the two of them had, with Ducky, the morning Tim was released from the hospital.

***Flashback***

"_Let Ducky look after you, McGee."_

"_Do I have a choice?"_

"_Yeah. Yeah, you have a choice. "_

"_Your tone says I don't."_

"_Ducky or In-patient rehab. You can't sleep on anyone's couch with that shoulder and you can't climb the stairs at your place or anyone else's with that knee."_

"_Timothy, I promise to give you all the space you require to breathe feely and not have to talk if you don't wish to."_

"_Okay. Thanks. Both of you."_

Blinking he returns to the here and now as he shakily accepts the hand held out to shake his own. "Thanks, Boss." He offers quietly.

"C'mon. The team's waitin' for ya upstairs."

"Boss, No. I can't…"

"Relax, McGee. It's just the team."

"Haven't exactly been nice to them lately." Tim admits as he enters the elevator with the Team Leader.

Waiting until the elevator starts to climb toward the upper floors, Gibbs snaps his office into play. In the semi-darkened box, he scrutinizes his agent. "You okay?"

"Not sure what okay is anymore." Tim admits somberly without looking at the older man.

"Look at me." The tone in the spoken words is part command, part softly spoken request and the concern is genuine.

After all that's happened, all this man has done for him, despite the silence these last two weeks, or maybe in spite of it, it's a struggle to look directly at Gibbs. However, his long ingrained instinct to follow the man's order takes precedence over anything else. He raises his eyes up off the floor, finding those cobalt blue orbs of honesty and stability he desperately needs right now, as they look at him as unwavering anchors.

"Ducky says you're still not eating." The boss informs him. In this, the first time he's laid eyes on the young man since his release from the hospital two weeks ago, he sees what the M.E. was referring to when they had discussed it earlier in the week.

"_Jethro, Timothy is far from recovered from his ordeal."_

"_No one's rushing him, Duck."_

"_I'm afraid Timothy is rushing himself, although he is the also the one keeping himself from being further along in his physical recovery than he could be._

"_He's sabotaging his recovery."_

"_I cannot get him to eat properly; in fact, he barely eats anything at all. He hardly sleeps for the nightmares that continue to plague him. And the only exercise he has pushed himself to do is simple walking around the house and my backyard. He needs more of all three before he can even hope to regain full use of his injured limbs."_

_What aren't you telling me, Duck?"_

"_Given Timothy's penchant for miring himself in guilt, I'm afraid this experience will bury him so deeply under the weight of it that we may never be able to retrieve him."_

"_Give him time. Soon as he realizes we've got his back, he'll start fighting back."_

"_I certainly hope so, Jethro. I certainly hope so.I believe that this lack of communication from you, his Team Leader, is not helping his current state of mind, however. The fact that I cannot get him to discuss his own ordeal only serves to sharpen my concern on the matter."_

"_I'll talk to him, Duck. __**After**__ he's had time to pull himself together. He doesn't need a whole lot of people crowdin' him; tellin' him stuff he's not ready to hear."_

"_Jethro, I…"_

"Not much of an appetite these days, Boss." Tim's flat toned answer interrupts the Team Leader's memory.

"Still letting that blanket keep you warm all day?"

Not sure what blanket the older man is referring to, all Tim can do is look at him blankly, as if the answer will just magically be revealed.

Instead, Gibbs has one more cryptic remark to add, knowing his agent will 'get it' then. "Ducky says you're wrapped in so tight at night, it's a wonder you're gettin' any sleep at all the way it invades your dreams, turning them into nightmares every night."

Tim looks away as he finally understands what the boss is referring to, unable to voice the obvious answer to that. He's already come to the realization that he's stuck in a vicious cycle as his guilt fuels his nightmares, which in turn, keep his guilt fresh on his mind and in his heart each morning.

"Want you to picture something."

Tim looks at him expectantly, knowing the man will finish the thought in his own way.

"Picture the look on your mother's face when she found out you were still alive after thinking you'd been killed by that dirt bag. I was there, so I remember it. Every parent's dream come true; getting a second chance."

Tim looks away yet again, blinking to clear his vision. He can't imagine what his mother went through and in fact, that's part of the soul-deep agony that adds so much weight to what plagues him now. It has insinuated itself into who he is now. He has no clue how to rid himself of it or if he even has the right to. Hearing Gibbs associate with what was happening as a parent, only deepens everything Tim's already feeling, this time, nearly taking his breath away.

Trying to give Tim some space to breathe, Gibbs flips the switch on the elevator, letting it continue on its way up to the squad room and decides it's time to play the devil's advocate. "Only you can decide to let it go, Tim."

A wave of anger surges out of Tim's mountain of emotions as those words slam into his worn and tattered soul. Now it's Tim's turn to flip the switch. He's never done it before, but he is so tired of being told he can just let this go as if it never happened.

_How can anyone even think it's that easy? Do they really believe he wants to feel this way? That he wants to be responsible for all that happened? Don't they know him better than that? Didn't they know him at all? How would any one of them feel if they had the same experiences? _

_They have no idea what it's like to not be able to sleep at night without seeing images of loved ones being raped or innocent people being killed. He wasn't even there and it's still haunting him. After everything he let Gibbs in on about who he actually was, the end result of brutal rape, Tim never expected this man to just so casually announce to him that all he had to do was choose to let it go_.

Gibbs hadn't expected Tim to stop the elevator, though he's secretly glad to see the young man react. It had been a gamble, pushing his buttons deliberately like this, but it was time for Tim to let himself feel something besides guilt. The Team leader looks directly at the younger man, unflinching even in the face of Tim's obvious fury. It seems the leash on the younger man's emotions has finally been released and this emotion, this fury that Gibbs' words have triggered, has roared to the surface.

"You think I want _this_? You honestly believe I _want_ to feel this way? That I _enjoy _the nightmares and the screams I can't get out of my head when I try to sleep at night? I wasn't even _there_ and their fear for their lives haunts me! You think I wanted my sister to be just a shell of her former self, for my mother to have to kill that bastard because I screwed up? For her to have to live through the fear of being raped _again_? _What –_so she can be reminded yet _again _of how this whole mess started 30 years ago? Of Sarah being raped right in front of her eyes?"

Silently Gibbs lets the younger man rant, knowing he needs to get it out, standing still for everything Tim needs to get off his chest while watching for the oncoming letdown he knows is coming, once his agent has run out of adrenaline and steam.

"Well, you're _wrong_! You're _all _wrong! Why can't you _understand_ that? " Sure enough, it's not but a moment later that Tim's expression becomes one of horror. "Oh, God!" He mutters as he turns away from the man he's looked up to and counted on more than any other now in his life. Shame, guilt and remorse rob him of anything else to say as he stares up at the ceiling tile while trying to pull himself back together. He never meant to let anyone else feel the weight of his burden. He's tried to keep it away from them all. Oh, he knows he's failed miserably at it. But he also knows that until now it wasn't from lack of trying, but more that the burden is too much for any one person to bear, as he has stubbornly fought to do.

Silently, Gibbs gives him a minute to pull himself together before he reaches out and grasps Tim's shoulder in a show of support, with no rush to remove that support for the time being.

Realizing what the Team Leader is saying without saying anything at all, Tim looks back up at him expectantly.

Finally, when he knows Tim is ready to listen, Gibbs speaks, his tone quiet, yet firm enough that there is no mistaking how much he means what he's taking the time to say. "What I think, Tim, is that you're human like the rest of us and you made a judgment call with the best of intentions, one that backfired horribly. Doesn't mean you should punish yourself for the rest of your life.

Tim shakes his head. "Boss, the families…those men…Emily and Fornell…"

"They know it wasn't your fault."

"How can you _say_ that?"

"McGee! _You_ didn't _kill _anyone!'

"Just because I didn't pull the trigger…"

"You wanna tell Fornell that? It's _his_ fault your sister was almost raped? Your mother, too? _His_ fault she had to kill that bastard?" Gibbs demands angrily.

"What? No!"

"Why not, McGee? It's the truth! If he hadn't lied to us, none of you would have been let out of protective custody and none of this would have happened!"

"But his daughter…"

"Would have been killed. Point blank range right in front of him."

Tim pales at the visualization.

A long, strained silence descends and it's Tim that breaks it, his voice nearly whisper-soft. "And I'm supposed to be okay with that, too?"

"You're forgetting, you're not the one that stalked Diane until she showed up at Fornell's house with their daughter, McGee."

Tim remains silent as he attempts to process what he's being reminded of. Suddenly, he feels the need to clarify things. "I can't blame Fornell, Boss."

"But you _should _blame me." Gibbs replies unexpectedly.

Silence embraces them as Tim struggles to fathom what the older man is trying to explain. It's a long minute before it's broken. It's the Team Leader's need to remind him of something that's been left unspoken that affords them the break.

"I owe you an apology, Tim."

Immediately, Tim's eyes seek those of the one who rarely utters those words or even those he'd spoken the moment before. "Boss?"

"I broke my own rule; made that call to Mike so he'd send you home without double checking the facts. You getting caught up in the crossfire; us almost losing you…" Gibbs can't even finish his sentence, his eyes close in silent despair. Opening his eyes back up, he forces himself to finish. "I am sorry, Tim."

Gibbs reaches over and flips the elevator switch back on, pushing the button for the bottom floor while he takes his phone out of his pocket. Flipping it open, his eyes locked on the row of buttons on the wall in front of him, he hits the speed dial number he needs. "Need you to meet me out front. Yeah. Now."

Snapping his phone shut, he steps between his agent and the elevator doors that are about to open up on the squad room level. As the doors open, he shakes his head as he deliberately locks eyes with his Senior Field Agent, even as the doors close again and the box descends back down to the lobby.

Lost in a sea of thoughts and attempting to process what Gibbs has just told him, Tim barely notices anything else. Even when the elevator reaches the ground floor and the doors open, he fails to compute to the point that Gibbs pulls at his shirtsleeve to get his attention. "C'mon. Let's take this outside."

Wordlessly, Tim follows the boss outside, away from the employees and visitors of the agency, away from the crowded feel that entrance always provides with its constant flow of people in and out.

Tim doesn't need any further urging when the bench comes into their line of sight and he's quick to take himself over to it and sit down. The fresh air is therapeutic and he finds himself wishing he'd spent more time outdoors in the last month because of the way he feels like he can breathe much better when he's outside than when he's inside.

He knows he should be trying to reassure the boss that not only does he not blame the man for anything that happened, but also that he's fine and ready to get back to work as the resident geek, even without medical permission to be in the field. At this point, being chained to his desk will be a step up and a step towards putting this all behind him. He should say something.

Somehow, he can't seem to find the words. Tim knows that any he can think of will sound hollow enough that even he will have trouble believing them. He's thankful that he knows the call Gibbs made earlier was most likely to Ducky, which means the M.E. is on his way into this stilted attempt at getting Tim to see things from a different perspective.

Sure enough, before he can even think much more on the subject, the sight of Ducky's approach distracts him and he feels the sigh of relief come from deep within him. It's not that he doesn't appreciate Gibbs because God knows he does. He just can't seem to find the right words when the Team Leader's around.

The closer bond they'd knit, accidental as it was, over the crisis Tim experienced before Christmas, seems like ancient history now. The feeling of being adrift in a single-man lifeboat without oars or life preserver is all that he's known since waking up in the hospital, half-dead and all-responsible, despite his team's relentless efforts to be there for him.

"Hello, Timothy." Ducky greets him cheerfully. "I did not expect to see you here today. You made no mention to me this morning of your pending visit."

"Director Shepherd called me. She wants to see me." Tim announces quietly.

"She called you this morning?" Gibbs asks with enough of an edge to his tone that it's evident he isn't happy about the news.

Tim nods.

"You leave her to _me_." Gibbs instructs him.

Again, Tim nods without speaking, knowing no words are needed.

"Jethro, might I ask why I've been summoned?" Ducky asks pointblank.

Gibbs nods in Tim's direction.

Watching the youngest of them look away in nervousness, Ducky gently pushes for more information "Timothy? Is there something wrong?"

Gibbs huffs out a breath of disbelief. "Think we all know there's plenty wrong here, Duck. Just thought that maybe you'd be able to get him to stop blaming himself for all of it, at least long enough to listen to reason.

"Jethro, you know that kind of thinking does not come about overnight."

"Doesn't mean he can't hear what you have to say about it. I know you've been waiting til you thought he was ready to hear it, Duck, Time's a wastin' and this is only gettin' harder on him."

"Boss, I _can't_ just stop being responsible for what happened!" Tim objects. "Not you, Boss. Me! **I** set this mess in motion. We both _know_ that!"

Squaring his shoulders, Gibbs stands toe to toe with Tim and quietly reminds him of something most important. "If you can't blame me then you shouldn't be able to blame yourself."

"Absolutely not, Timothy!" Ducky can't help but insert even as his heart hurts for Gibbs as well.

"Boss, e**veryone **knows this is on me! I know that's why I'm supposed to meet with her; to face whatever she's decided my punishment should be!"

"Timothy. Let's put the meeting with the Director aside for a moment, all right?"

Tim nods silently, willing to hear the wise M.E. out.

"Let's focus on what you're been trying to handle without anyone's help. I need you to remember that you were in a state of shock from the very first evening you learned of your true parentage. When you learned that you were not the biological son of the man who raised and loved you all of your life, you were understandably knocked off-kilter. When in the course of that same evening, you also discovered that the serial killer was in fact your biological father; it understandably was more than you were able to process all at once. It is no wonder you struggled to take it all in and accept it." Ducky reminds him compassionately.

"But you did, McGee." Gibbs adds proudly. "You handled it."

"Quite right, young man. Which is why you must stop punishing yourself this way for the choices you made then because you did give the situation much serious thought. Your actions were _not_ reckless. And really, who could have predicted that prison security would suddenly go lax enough that such a series of events would happen? The responsibility is most definitely _not_ all on you, Timothy."

"Not to mention that Fornell AND Director Shepard would screw up at their jobs." Gibbs adds with anger. "Not responsible for Fornell or Diane's lack of observation either. Damned sure not responsible for the Director's rush to bring your family out of protective custody. Or mine to get you back here."

"Timothy, you did NOT help Martin escape from prison, you were NOT responsible for the sloppy security measures that led to Martin's freedom. If anything, one would think prison security would have been tighter around a prisoner the closer they get to his execution date." Ducky one again attempts to insert reason into Tim's thought process.

Tim takes a deep breath and glances at both men he appreciates more than he can ever say. "I know you're both right. But I also know that neither one of you would be feeling any different if you were standing where I am right now."

"I know where you're headed with this thinking, Tim.. You're holding your own recovery back because you don't think you deserve to be a Field Agent anymore."

Tim's silence tells them just how right the Team Leader is in his assessment.

"Only gonna say this once." Gibbs warns. "You belong to me, remember? You can keep your job as a federal agent - and a field agent on my team when you've fully recovered - and continue doing the good you know you were doing, preventing other victims from serial killers AND preventing other children from suffering the same fate you and your family has. _Or_ you can let that bastard win by allowing your guilt to eat you alive and cost you everything. And everything your mother's done so all of you could get your life lives back, would mean nothing."

Disbelief and doubt are unmistakable in Tim's eyes even before he silently looks away. Maybe what he's feeling right now is more than just the effects of what he's just been through, what everyone he cares about has been through because of him, but part of his mind is shouting _'job-burn out!'_ All he knows is that he no longer sees that he can make a difference on the job. Right now, all he knows is that he screwed up and this time, there are no more second chances.

However, it's the reminder of his mother and everything she's been through and all she's done to give him life and give it back to him when all seemed out of reach and unfixable, that grabs him by the throat until he's almost choking on the price she's paid.

The guilt that Gibbs is carrying as well as what this has done to him adds another layer to the problem and gives Tim even more incentive to do what he has to get past this part of the nightmare where he's alone and mired in the muck of it all. He wants to be able to put this down, to find a way to live with it; or at least, a part of him does. Unfortunately, two-thirds of his brain can't see past everything else that's keeping this a live wire for him. Maybe, just maybe, these two men; the people he looks up to most in his life are right.

"Timothy, while Jethro is quite correct in what he is trying to get you to understand; it's clear that that clarification brings with it more guilt and that is certainly not our intention. Won't you allow yourself to speak with someone who can help you wade through this so you can find your way back to us?" Ducky implores the young man.

Blinking back the traitorous moisture from his eyes, Tim silently nods in capitulation. He knows he can't keep going on alone. He has to find the light at the end of the tunnel, if not for himself then at least for his mother. She deserves to be able to have her life back; to not be constantly worried about him because he can't seem to get back on track. They all do. His thoughts turn to his team and all they've tried to do for him. It's time to find a way out – for all their sakes, but mostly for his own.

Part of that will have to be finding a way to be around them, without being weighed down from the guilt of it all. He knows this, but he also knows that without reaching out for help, he'll be forever trying to figure out how to shed it.

"I have a very good friend whom I trust implicitly. He is standing by, Timothy. He has made it clear that his calendar is open for you anytime you need him. I would say that there is no time like the present, hmm?" Ducky pushes gently.

Gibbs relaxes at Tim's second nod, digs his phone out of his pocket and flips it open to make a call. "Your appointment with my agent just got cancelled…yeah, he told me…he's got somewhere he's gotta be…Yup, definitely more important, Jen…I'll let ya know."

Flipping his phone closed, he stowed it back in his shirt pocket, looking at his still silent agent. "C'mon, I'll drive you."

Too shocked to argue, Tim glances at Ducky for either confirmation or argument, finds neither and so turns to follow in the boss's footsteps, still not breaking the silence that has settled in the air between them.

******NCIS*******

Hey, Boss. I hear Probie was here. I can't believe he didn't come see us…well, me." Tony gripes when Gibbs returns to the squad room three hours later. "You know how long I've been workin' on him; tryin' to get him to come back to us, in more ways than one, too."

The Team Leader stops in his trek toward his own desk, changing course to that of his Senior Field Agent's. "DiNozzo."

"Boss?"

"Give him time."

"I did! I was! He was here!" Tony argues plaintively. "Why wouldn't he come up here and see us? How much more time does he need? Every free night we have is spent trying to get him to open up and let us in!"

"Don't push, DiNozzo." The quiet tone drives the point home as Tony stops long enough to consider what he's being told without words.

Finally, he nods in agreement. "Okay."

Gibbs returns to his desk, thinking about the situation with Tim. It had done the young man a world of good to talk to him, to Ducky and most of all to the shrink. Gibbs saw the difference in Tim's demeanor almost immediately after the young man came from the Doctor's office after his session and climbed into Gibbs' car.

***FLASHBACK***

_As they head away from the office, the Team Leader doesn't push, but quite deliberately scrutinizes his agent, settling for asking just one little question. "Feel better?"_

_Tim is quietly thoughtful for a long minute before he looks him straight on and answers him. "Yeah. Thanks to you and Ducky and…"_

_Gibbs nods. "I get it. Question is, do you?"_

"_Get that I need help? Yeah, Boss. I do. Now."_

"_Not exactly what I meant, but it's a start."_

"_What did yo…?"_

"_McGee. Your mother's been through hell. The two of you went through hell before Christmas – hell, even before Thanksgiving your family had a lot to deal with. Don't you think it's time you give her something back?"_

"_I thought I was by not dragging her through this crap." He answers honestly._

"_Hmmm." Gibbs replies thoughtfully. "Not sure she sees it that way."_

"_Meaning she wants me to be with her."_

"_Could start with a phone call." Gibbs suggests dryly. "Hell of a lot cheaper than a plane ticket."_

_Tim smiles softly. "I think I can do that."_

"_Your sister, too?" Gibbs asks unexpectedly._

"_Sarah? Boss, wh…?"_

"_McGee, she was kept out of what was going on from the beginning. When the shit hit the fan, she got caught up in the middle and she still never knew why."_

"_Oh, God! No wonder she would only talk to Ducky afterwards."_

"_We're lucky she was willing to even do that."_

"_I know. You're right, Boss. I will definitely work harder on fixing things or at least trying to fix things with Sarah." Tim earnestly vows._

"_I know." Gibbs rewards him with a half-smile._

_Tim settles back in his seat and goes quiet falling into a light sleep. Glancing over at him, Gibbs thinks about the lack of contact with his wounded agent over the past few weeks and marvels at the younger man's ability not to hold that against him. Still, he knows the M.E.'s point to that effect was a valid one and sees this as a golden opportunity to try to fix this screw-up of his; to let Tim see that he really does matter, to all of them. Making a split second decision, he turns the car towards his own home. _

_As they pull into the driveway, Tim wakes and looks around him, a bit confused. With a grin, his boss looks over at him and explains: "Thought you could stay with me since we're off this weekend. Change of scenery for you.. Shoulder's healing __so one flight to the guest room will do you some good and there's a walking trail nearby that will be easy on your knee." _

_It's obvious by the look on his face that Tim hears what the boss isn't saying and realizes that the man is doing his best to work toward making amends for the previous lack of communication. The younger man gives his Team Leader a genuine smile as he nods. "Sure Boss, that sounds good."_

_***End Flashback***_

Now, hearing Tony's concern and his complaint, Gibbs realizes that it's time to let the rest of the team have the freedom to handle things with Tim in their own way. He feels Tim is now probably ready to spend time with his teammates. The young man just doesn't know how to ask that of them while still weighed down with all he's struggling to sort through.

The father in Gibbs wants this reconnection between his kids just as much as they do and he wants to get them all beyond those unsuccessful earlier attempts to reach Tim. Showing Tim he doesn't have to do the asking will go a long way in making that happen. "Tony."

"Boss?"

"If Mohammed won't come to the mountain…" Gibbs deliberately leaves it at that as he includes the long silent Ziva in his glance. He knows both of his intelligent agents will get his point.

"Seriously?" Tony is excited that Gibbs is sanctioning them crashing in on Tim.

"My place, 1800. _Just _you two." After talking it over with Ducky earlier, he had decided this dinner needed to be just the Field Team, to lessen the possibility of overwhelming Tim.

***NCIS***

Tony and Ziva spend the next few hours cleaning up their paperwork and zoom out of the squad room when Gibbs gives them the nod at 1630. Early for them, but he decides to cut them some slack. Leaving the office early himself, he stops and buys steaks and potatoes for the grill and an apple pie with vanilla ice cream he happens to know is a favorite of Tim's – and his, truth be told!

Quietly entering his house, he finds Tim stretched out on the sofa sound asleep and miracles of all miracles, it looks to be a peaceful rest. He can't help but grin with long awaited relief at the change as he opens the back porch door to let in some fresh air. He leaves Tim to get more sleep while he heads back to the kitchen and sets the steaks to marinate a bit before heading back outside to clean off the grill; the real one outside.

Gibbs has to smile as he realizes _'his'_ grill won't cut it with the whole crowd coming. But, some other time, he'll be firing it up and showing Tim that he really can come to him in normal times, too. It hasn't escaped his notice that Tony's bragged a time or two about the 'cowboy steaks he's been privy to at the boss' house. Oh yeah, it's long past time to right that wrong. Soon.

Shortly before 1800, the expected duo arrives and as they pull into his driveway, the Team Leader wakes the young man. "C'mon Tim, wake up, almost chow time!"

Tim stretches carefully as he opens his eyes, sits up gingerly and gives his boss a lopsided smile. "Like a little kid these days. I just fall asleep anywhere!"

"That's good, McGee, you need it. "You call your mother yet?"

"Yeah. We had a really good talk, we're okay. And Sarah's agreed to talk to me the next time I call. I wanted to give her the choice and the time to think about it, too."

Gibbs nods in satisfaction and Tim barely has time to wonder at the grin that comes over his boss's face when he realizes he's heard footsteps behind the man. Getting up off the couch, almost without help, although not quite, he turns and finds his teammates standing in the entryway, grinning at him.

"Surprise." says Tony, quietly, not wanting to startle his probie.

"Tony, Ziva! I didn't expec…Boss?!" Tim looks at his boss in question.

"It is nice to see you rested, McGee. I know it has not been easy for you to do so with your injuries." Ziva offers as she deliberately leaves out any mention of the real reason he hasn't been sleeping. She has no desire to invoke images of whatever nightmares have been plaguing him.

Turning at the sound of her voice, he's just in time to brace for a double-barreled, yet still gentle hug from the two of them. Smiling and trying not to let the tears fall, he leans into the embrace and squeezes them right back. Ordinarily, any one of them would have said a group hug was too sappy.

But, after everything they'd been through, after they'd almost lost Tim, spent hours thinking they _had_ lost him, they were all feeling the rawness of their overwhelming emotions in the face of this; the first chance they've had as a team to work at reconnecting without the barrier of Tim mentally trying to shield them from what he's going through.

As one unit, they turn toward their boss, their ties to each other finally ready for reconnecting, their ties to each other still strong and unbreakable. They are after all, more than just a team; they're a family.

~~FINIS~~

* * *

_A/N: It's been a long and difficult journey to get here and I could NOT have done it without the invaluable help and support of both my long-time BETA, Gottahavemyncis - and my friend, Shelbylou._

_To both of you: - "Thank you, from the bottom of my heart"_

_And I cannot forget to thank all of you loyal readers & reviwers - "Thank you!"_


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